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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24105901">Cloud Dragons</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacDragon334/pseuds/ZodiacDragon334'>ZodiacDragon334</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gym Challenges (Pokemon), Multiple part story, My First Fanfic, Part 1 is Retelling of Game Events, Pokemon Battles, Slow Burn, long story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:27:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>139,805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24105901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacDragon334/pseuds/ZodiacDragon334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After tragedy forces Kiyuki to leave her home in Hoenn for the Galar region, she finds herself roped into the Gym Challenge by an enthusiastic neighbour, despite her misgivings. While she has no intentions to become the Champion, her Gym Challenge leads to a series of adventures and misadventures. Kiyuki's journey across Galar results in new friends, rivals, and one pesky crush on the Dragon-type Gym Leader.</p><p>Part 1 is mostly a retelling of the events of Pokémon Sword and Shield, with some changes and added scenes. Part 2 will be Kiyuki's time as Champion, and Part 3 will be a little later in her life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dande | Leon/Sonia, Hop/Mary | Marnie, Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>163</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1: Challenger, Chapter 1: A New Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello!</p><p>First of all, this is my first Fanfic I've ever written, although I've had this one floating around in my head for quite a while. But now that we're all stuck at home with the pandemic, I figured now would be the time to write it. </p><p>Like I said in the summary, Part 1 sticks mostly true to the games, mostly Pokémon Sword since that's the version I played. Some scenes and dialogue have been spun around, and I've also added some new things (namely, Raihan pops up a lot more often). </p><p>Another thing I've done is age up some of the characters, so that the age kids go through the Gym Challenge is 16 in my story. But obviously since some characters are underage, there won't be any romance in Part 1. </p><p>Here are the ages of some of the characters in Part 1:<br/>Kiyuki, Hop, Bede, Marnie: 16<br/>Raihan, Leon, Nessa, Sonia, Piers: 21</p><p>I hope you enjoy the story!</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Sword and Shield, or any of its characters.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing at Wyndon International Airport shortly. Please return to your seats and your Pokémon to their Pokéballs, fasten your seatbelts, make sure your tray tables are stowed and your seat is in the upright position. Thank you for flying with Latias Airlines, we hope you had a pleasant flight.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki glanced out of the window of the plane as it dropped below the clouds to reveal the Galar region. Most of the view was encompassed by green fields and forests, but she could see the outline of a large city in the distance. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excuse me Miss, but you’re going to need to return your Pokémon to it’s Ball before landing, please.” The voice of the flight attendant startled Kiyuki out of her thoughts, glancing down at her Swablu sleeping peacefully in her lap. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded at the flight attendant, and gently ran her fingers over the soft fluff of her Pokémon’s wings to wake her up. The Swablu glanced up at Kiyuki with an annoyed chirp. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry Nimbus, but we’re landing soon. I’ll let you out again once we get through the airport.” Kiyuki told her as she pulled Nimbus’ Ultra Ball out of her bag and returned her back inside. Satisfied, the flight attendant left and Kiyuki glanced out the window again. The city was closer now, and she could see the outline of a huge ferris wheel that was slowly turning, and a tall clock tower that jutted out from the rest of the buildings. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Soon enough, the plane touched down and pulled into the gate. Grabbing her backpack from under the seat, Kiyuki rejoined her mother inside the terminal. They made light conversation about the flight as they walked through the terminal, realizing just how big it was. They’d been walking for what felt like forever, constantly passing televisions showing the recap of some important Pokémon battle. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The battle was hard to see because of the massive sandstorm, but she could see a huge fiery Charizard facing off against an equally large metallic-looking Pokémon that she had never seen before. It was over quickly enough with a massive blast of fire the Charizard, and the metallic Pokémon was defeated. The purple-haired Trainer with the Charizard waved at the crowds and the cameras before it cut back to a couple of commentators at a desk. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! Come on, I don’t want to be stuck in the line for customs!” Her mother called back at her, and she realized she had fallen behind when she got distracted by the battle on TV. “Sorry Mom!” She called back as she jogged to catch up, and they quickly came up to customs. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The customs officer, a tall, gruff-looking man, called them forward. Kiyuki handed the man her passport, and let her mother do the talking as the officer asked what they were doing in Galar. “We’re moving here from the Hoenn region,” she told him and pulled out the necessary paperwork they had filled out back. He quickly flipped through the paperwork, asked her a few more questions about work and where they were planning on living, before stamping their passports and handing them back to Kiyuki and her mother. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome to the Galar region.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>The taxis in Galar are quite interesting</em>, Kiyuki thought to herself when she stepped out in front of their new home, which her mother had bought a few days ago. She turned back to study the large bird Pokémon that was carrying the taxi cab, a Corviknight, the cabbie had called it. The Corviknight noticed her watching, and bent down towards her from its perch. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard the cabbie laugh. “He seems to like you. You can pet him if you’d like.” She nodded and reached out her hand to scratch the Corviknight on the side of its head, which it clearly enjoyed. She pet it a few more times before thanking it and the cabbie as they flew off. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The house was small, as was the little town called Postwick it was found in. But it was all that was needed for two people. Kiyuki took a moment to wander around the house, noticing the dust in a few places. There was a living room, a kitchen, one bedroom upstairs and another on the main floor, which her stuff had already appeared in. The moving truck with their furniture wasn’t supposed to arrive for a few more days, so the house was incredibly empty. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki reached into her bag and let Nimbus out of her ball. She watched the Swablu drift around the room, examining every corner before settling on the windowsill to look outside. Kiyuki took the time to open her suitcase and pulled out the mat and sleeping bag that she would be using until the furniture came. Most of the suitcase was filled with clothes, but she had brought a few decorations from her old room in Hoenn to make it feel a little more familiar. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It wasn’t much, just a poster of some Dragon-type Pokémon, a small sketch of Nimbus, and a few books on various Pokémon-related topics. Nimbus had left her perch on the windowsill as Kiyuki was taping the sketch to the wall, and came to settle on top of her head. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not the best place to sit until I have a shower, Nimbus,” she told her, but Nimbus just chirped at her again and didn’t move. Kiyuki just shrugged and went back to rolling out the sleeping mat and sleeping bag. The clothes would need to stay in the suitcase for now until her dresser got here. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With nothing else to unpack for now, Kiyuki grabbed one of the books she brought with her, a book on how to train Dragon-type Pokémon. She sat down leaning against the wall flipped through the book until she found the passage on Swablu, and started to read. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>As far as Dragon-types go, Swablu and Altaria are among the easiest to train. While Swablu itself is not a Dragon-type, it does evolve into one so retains many behaviours and personality traits typical of Dragon-type Pokémon. They tend to be easy-going and not very fussy, and do not fear people. They will tend to sit and nap wherever they feel like. Wild Swablu have the tendency to land on people’s heads and act like a hat, waiting for the person to notice. They will also do this to their Trainers, so a Trainer needs to know how to tell when a Swablu is on their head before they accidentally knock it off or startle it. Swablu also cannot stand if the space they are in is dirty, and will use their wings to clean up any dust or dirt they see. They cannot stand being dirty for long, and will quickly find some water to wash off. As a Trainer, frequently brushing your Swablu and keeping a clean space will keep it happy. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus seemed to have noticed a patch of dust in a corner of the room and left Kiyuki’s head to go clean it. How she could notice such a small amount of dust from that far away, Kiyuki didn’t know. Kiyuki turned back to her book to read the next passage on Altaria when she heard her mother calling her from the kitchen about supper. <em>That late already? </em>Kiyuki thought to herself before holding out her hand and calling Nimbus away from the dust. As soon as the Swablu landed, Kiyuki walked into the kitchen to find her mother sitting on the floor on a pillow, with a take-out stir-fry box and a pair of chopsticks. Her Garchomp was next to her eating a Chesto berry. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I got you your usual, and some Pecha berries for Nimbus,” she told her. Kiyuki sat down on a second pillow that her mother had set out for her and started to eat. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What time do you start work tomorrow?” Kiyuki asked between mouthfuls of noodles. Her mother finished her mouthful before replying “9 o’clock. But I’m going to head out earlier, don’t know how long the walk to Wedgehurst is.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded and went back to her stir-fry, eating a few more bites in silence before her mother asked “and what are you doing tomorrow while I’m away?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Truthfully she didn’t know. She would like to just stay in her room, read her books and maybe draw a little bit, but she had a feeling that wasn’t going to be a satisfactory answer. So she just shrugged and took another bite of stir-fry. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why not explore Postwick? Not much else to do at this point.” Kiyuki didn’t say anything, just shrugged again and took another mouthful of stir-fry. Her mother sighed at her lack of enthusiasm. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sweetheart, I know what happened is hard to get over, but it won’t do you any good to stay cooped up in the house. You need fresh air and to talk to people, as much as you don’t want to. Promise me you’ll go out tomorrow” Kiyuki knew her mother was right, but didn’t want to admit it. “Promise me,” her mother repeated. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright, I promise,” she replied as she finished her last bite of stir-fry and Nimbus finished off the bowl of Pecha berries. “Good” was the only reply she got as her mother rose up off the ground and scratched her Garchomp under her chin. “You should get ready for bed, been a long day for us all.” That, Kiyuki could agree with wholeheartedly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After cleaning up from supper and washing herself, as well as Nimbus, being covered in the dust she had picked up earlier, Kiyuki went back to her room and crawled into her sleeping bag. She had left her suitcase open so Nimbus could at least sleep on her clothes until she got her a better bed, but the Swablu touched down right beside her head and curled up there instead. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus drifted off to sleep right away, but Kiyuki lay awake for a while yet staring at the ceiling. Her mind seemed to refuse to let her sleep, instead going back to Hoenn. She could remember the last few days before it all fell apart, the days with her father, his excitement when he hatched Nimbus for her. He was so excited that she would soon be able to start her own Pokémon journey, defeating the gym leaders for the change to become the champion. Then… <em>No, stop it, don’t think about it, </em>Kiyuki told herself as she started to remember, forcing herself to think about something else. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She remembered the Pokémon battle she had seen on TV in the airport, with the Charizard and the metallic Pokémon. With sleep continuing to elude her, she pulled out her sketchbook from the stack of books, careful not to wake up Nimbus. Not wanting to forget, she quickly sketched the metallic Pokémon as she remembered it. It looked like a skyscraper, she thought as she finished the drawing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She thought about drawing the Charizard, but found that she couldn’t remember it as well as the metallic Pokémon. Instead abandoning the sketch before finally drifting off to sleep. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki woke from a restless sleep with sunlight streaming in through the open window onto her face. <em>Rude, </em>she thought as she ducked her head under the sleeping bag to try and get back to sleep. It felt like she hadn’t slept at all. However, an insistent chirp prevented her from doing just that, as Nimbus was clearly awake and wanting to get on with the day</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“5 more minutes” she mumbled at the persistent Swablu that seemed determined to make as much noise as possible. That didn’t quiet her down in the slightest. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine” she groaned. “Have it your way.” Crawling out of her sleeping bag, Kiyuki squinted as the sunlight beamed into her room again. She made a mental note to see if any stores nearby sold curtains. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Grabbing a pair of jeans and a blue sweater, she felt Nimbus land on her head again as she walked towards the bathroom. She stayed there the whole time Kiyuki brushed her teeth, “You’re going to need to move so I can get dressed,” she told her. With an annoyed huff, Nimbus floated down from her head onto the counter. Giving Kiyuki a few seconds to pull on her sweater and brush her hair before Nimbus was right back in her favourite spot on top of her head. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother was already eating breakfast, dressed in her scrubs, as Kiyuki walked into the kitchen. There wasn’t much to eat, evidenced by the meagre selection of two different flavours of oatmeal cups, neither of which were very good. But that was all they had, so Kiyuki selected the apple cinnamon flavour, filled it up with hot water from the kettle and joined her mother on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki couldn’t help but make a face at the pasty blandness of her oatmeal, not too surprised when her mother laughed at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know,” she said, “not my favourite either. I’ll grab some groceries and better breakfast food after work.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If anything, at least get some sugar.” Kiyuki retorted as she choked down another spoonful. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“By the way, it looks like there’s a boy about your age that lives next door. You promised to get out today, so why don’t you go talk to him? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki just shrugged, “Maybe. If I happen to run into him when I’m outside.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, you better hurry up then. It looks like he’s waiting for you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Huh?” Kiyuki craned her neck to look out the front window, and sure enough, there was a boy wandering back and forth between her house and the house next door. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m heading out to Wedgehurst now, make sure you go talk to him before he gets impatient. Love you.” Her mother leaned down to give her a kiss on top of her head. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Love you too, Mom.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stepped outside a few minutes later into the bright sunlight that had so rudely woken her up less than an hour ago. Once her eyes adjusted, she found the boy that she saw earlier coming over from the neighbouring house. He broke into a jog once he saw that she was outside.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She walked down to the bottom of the path to meet him, noticing that he was grinning as he got closer. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello, hello! I’m Hop! I live next door, nice to meet you!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Despite her oatmeal feeling like a rock in her stomach, Kiyuki found herself smiling at his enthusiasm. “Kiyuki. Nice to meet you.” She said, sticking out her hand to shake his. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So where did you move from? Do you have a Pokémon? Oh! What’s your favourite Pokémon?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s mind went reeling from the rapid-fire questions that Hop was asking. “Um…”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Sorry, I got a little excited there. I’m just excited about having a neighbour that might be going through the Gym Challenge at the same time as me!” Hop sheepishly grinned at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The… Gym Challenge? There’s one here too?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah! I think most regions have something somewhat similar. I can tell you all about… Woah!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki felt Nimbus waking up from her nap on top of her head, assuming that was what surprised Hop. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is that a Pokémon? I thought it was a hat!” Hop exclaimed again, clearly excited. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki couldn’t help but laugh and coaxed Nimbus down onto her hand so Hop could get a closer look at her. “Swablu tend to pretend that they’re hats, nobody really knows why. They’re very friendly though, especially for a Dragon type. This is Nimbus.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s a Dragon type?” Hop asked as he watched Nimbus float around his head, before freezing when she landed on his head. “Um… Kiyuki? What do I do?!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki just laughed again “She’s not a Dragon type, yet anyways. She evolves into one. And just let her nap there, she won’t hurt you. I can take her if you’d rather.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop relaxed, letting his hands drop before smiling again. “Its all right, she can stay. I’ve got a Pokémon too, wanna see?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, and Hop pulled a Pokéball out of his bag and opened it. When the light faded, she saw an adorable sheep Pokémon staring up at her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A Mareep?” She asked as she crouched down to let Hop’s Pokémon sniff her fingers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not sure what a Mareep is, but he’s a Wooloo. They’re only found in the Galar region. At least that’s what Lee told me.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki gently ran her fingers through Wooloo’s wool, smiling when the sheep Pokémon gently head butted her hand. “They’re not found in Hoenn, that’s for sure. But there are sheep Pokémon there too, called Mareep. Who’s Lee?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned again. “That’s my brother! He’s the Champion and has been undefeated for 10 years! He’s the coolest!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki gaped at him. “Your brother is the champion?!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah! Pretty cool, huh? But I’m going to beat him once I start my Gym Challenge!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Extremely cool! Look, I know we just met and all, but can you tell me about the Gym Challenge?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop nodded and grinned again, “sure thing! Why don’t you come to my house so we can actually sit down? Maybe I can convince my mom to make us a snack!” He laughed. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki found herself smiling again before following Hop back to his house. <em>The Gym Challenge… That could be exactly what I need to get strong enough… </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of day passed in a blur, only when she started to get hungry did she realize that she had spent the entire day with Hop. He had told her how the Gym Challenge worked, what Dynamax and Gigantamax were, his brother, his Wooloo, really all sorts of Pokémon-related topics. In return, she had told him about some of the Pokémon from Hoenn. He was particularly excited when she told him about Metagross and Champion Steven. They ended up going off on a tangent debating about who would win if Leon and Steven faced off in a battle. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki left back to her own home after Hop and his mother had invited her and her mother back in a few days for a barbecue and to watch Leon’s exhibition match against one of the Gym Leaders. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother was already back home when Kiyuki walked in, and was reheating something in the microwave. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello sweetheart, you seem to be getting along well with the neighbours.” She teased. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki just laughed, “Well you did want me to talk to people and not shut myself away in my room.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She helped herself to some of their take-out meal for the evening, which was soup. “By the way, they’ve invited us both to their house for a barbecue in a week. The Champion is having an exhibition match against one of the Gym Leaders, supposedly they’ve been rivals since their own Gym Challenge. That boy from this morning is actually the Champion’s brother, crazy enough.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s very nice of them. Make sure you tell them tomorrow that we’ll be there.” Her mother replied. “What’s his name?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop,” Kiyuki told her, “we were talking about the Gym Challenge for most of the day. You were right by the way, we are the same age. But he said there is apparently some paperwork I could fill out that would allow me to use Nimbus in the Gym Challenge.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“When you put it like that, you sound like you’ve already decided to do this Gym Challenge.” Her mother asked. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki pondered that for a moment, “I haven’t decided yet. I think I will if I can use Nimbus. It would certainly help me get stronger, which is what matters.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother just looked sadly at her and opened her mouth to say something, but Kiyuki cut her off.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve already made up my mind, Mom. I told you that I came to Galar with you to get stronger, then I would go back to Hoenn to get revenge for Dad. It’s not like I’m strong enough to make it anywhere here anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother just sighed, “I’ll fully support you if you want to join the Gym Challenge here. In fact, I think it would be good for you. I’ve told you this before, but just don’t let revenge consume your life, OK?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “I know.” She said before taking another mouthful of soup to avoid having to talk anymore. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock at the door. Her mother rose up from her cushion to go answer it. Kiyuki watched Nimbus polishing off her bowl of Pecha berries before she heard Hop’s voice from the front door. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could get up, her mother returned to the kitchen, followed by Hop. He grinned when he saw her and quickened his pace to sit down next to her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here. I printed off the paperwork to use a foreign Pokémon in the Gym Challenge for you,” he said, handing her a few sheets of paper. “There’s still 2 months before the Gym Challenge starts, so if you send it off soon you should get a reply back in time.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks,” Kiyuki replied. “Sorry there’s no chairs in here right now, we’re still waiting for our furniture.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop laughed. “No problem! I don’t mind, I just wanted to give you that.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s mother started to talk to Hop, so Kiyuki took a moment to flip through the paperwork Hop had brought her. Most of it focused on the Pokémon, what moves it knew, mostly to assess how powerful it was and if it would grant her an unfavourable advantage, she supposed. That was fine, it was the section labelled “reason for request” that made her nervous. She really didn’t want to detail what happened in Hoenn two weeks ago. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked up from the papers when she heard Hop stand up beside her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did tell my Mom I would only be a few minutes, so I should probably head back,” he laughed.“See you tomorrow, Kiyuki?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course. Thank you again for the papers,” she told him as she walked back with him towards the door.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned at her again. “No problem at all! See you tomorrow!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After he left, Kiyuki went back to her room, staring for a moment at the stack of papers in her hands. She glanced at Nimbus, who was contently floating around the room on her evening dust patrol. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t you go and get dusty again, now. I just cleaned you,” she told the Swablu, holding out her hand so Nimbus could land. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus softly chirped at her, staring at her as if to ask what Kiyuki was planning to do. She sighed and sat down on her sleeping mat, placing the papers beside her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know Nimbus. I don’t like the idea of throwing you into a battle, but I need to get stronger. I could always try to get another Pokémon for the Gym Challenge so you didn’t have to battle, but it’s just not the same.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus chirped at her again before taking off and diving into Kiyuki’s drawing supplies. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Careful in there, you’ll get charcoal all over…” Kiyuki trailed off when Nimbus emerged from the bag with a pen in her mouth. She floated back over to the papers beside Kiyuki and dropped the pen on top. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus… Are you sure? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Nimbus’ answer was to pick up the pen again and drop it on Kiyuki’s head before settling there herself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ow! Alright! Message received. I’ll fill it out.” Kiyuki picked up the pen that had rolled a short ways away after bouncing off her head, starting to fill out the papers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Species: Swablu </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Region of Origin: Hoenn</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Type: Normal/Flying</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Level: 3</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Egg Moves: Hyper Voice</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Evolutionary stages: One</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Evolutions: Altaria</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Type of Evolution: Dragon/Flying</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Additional Identifying Characteristics: Shiny </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The papers asked for a lot more information, everything from colour to body shape to temperament to size. <em>They’d be able to draw Nimbus with all this information, </em>Kiyuki thought bemusedly to herself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After filling all that out, Kiyuki reached the section she was dreading, the one asking for reason of request. Nimbus stirred from her perch on top of Kiyuki’s head when she heard the pen stop scratching against the paper.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know Nimbus, just trying to decide how much detail about what happened they could possibly want.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could already feel the panic and pain building up from even slightly thinking about what happened to her father two weeks ago. <em>No, stop it, </em>she told herself again, closing her eyes and taking in a breath to suppress the memory again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus noticed this too, and floated down from Kiyuki’s head onto her shoulder to nuzzle against her face, which snapped Kiyuki out of her memories. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She ran her fingers against Nimbus’ wings again, thanking the small bird Pokémon. Turning back to the paper, she started writing again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>My father passed away two weeks ago in an accident</em>, she wrote, <em>Nimbus was the last gift I got from him. She’s my partner and best friend, I don’t want to do the Gym Challenge without her. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>There, that should be enough, short and simple. </em>She set the completed papers on top of her suitcase, mentally reminding herself to ask Hop tomorrow about where to submit them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, Kiyuki crawled back into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes. She felt Nimbus curl up next to her head again, the soft fluff of her wings momentarily brushing against her nose, making it itch. Unlike the last night however, Kiyuki drifted off to sleep relatively quickly.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Exhibition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So we're getting into the events of the games now! I've got a few chapters in reserve that I'm editing right now, so I hope to be posting at least one or two chapters each day for now. This is a bit of a shorter chapter. </p>
<p>P.S. Lily is Hop's mother.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few days later, Kiyuki found herself walking back to Hop’s house with her mother in tow. He was waiting outside for them, and was practically bouncing in excitement. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned and waved when he saw them, “Hey! The battle’s about to start! Come on Kiyuki, we’re gonna miss it!” He called, still bouncing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Go ahead,” Kiyuki’s mother told her, “I’ll find Lily, go have fun.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, before following Hop into the house and sitting next to him on the couch in front of the TV. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who’s Leon battling again?” Kiyuki asked as Hop fiddled with the volume on the TV.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The best gym leader in the region, Raihan! He fancies himself a Dragon-type specialist, but anyone who’s seen him battle knows that he’s really more of a sandstorm specialist that just happens to like Dragon-types. Oh! And he’s also been my brother’s rival since they did their Gym Challenge together!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>A Dragon-type specialist? </em>Kiyuki thought to herself, suddenly very interested. <em>I wonder if he’s got a Garchomp like Mom? Or a Salamence! Or a Hydreigon!</em></span>
</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop seemed to notice her interest as soon as he mentioned Dragon-type Pokémon and grinned at her. “Wait until you see his Duraludon Gigantamax! It’s super cool!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The screen suddenly cut to a scan of a cheering crowd panning out over a massive stadium before zooming in on a man in a grey suit waving at the cameras. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome, one and all!” He called out.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome to the wonderful world of Pokémon!” The man crossed his arms behind his back and started to walk across the pitch. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Our beloved Galar region is a wonderful place, with thriving nature, beautiful cities, and many Pokémon with which we share our lives!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“As you know, our society is able to thrive,” he started, pulling out a Pokéball and opening it to release another Pokémon Kiyuki had never seen before. “Thanks to help from these mysterious creatures that we call Pokémon.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s a Cufant!” Hop told her excitedly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The man on the screen continued talking, gesturing at a flock of Pidove flying overhead. “Yes, Pokémon are all around us — in the sea, in the sky, and even with us in our towns!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turning back to the camera and holding up his Pokéball again, he continued. “And those of us who choose to raise and train Pokémon to do battle and compete, we call Pokémon trainers!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered at that, and the man waited a few moments before continuing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! But I’m getting carried away. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rose, and it is a pleasure to be here.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The camera panned out again, “Now turn your gaze to the Galar region’s greatest Pokémon Trainer, your undefeated Champion! It’s time for Champion Leon’s exhibition match!” Rose finished with a flourish as fireworks went off in the stadium. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When the smoke cleared, the camera focused on a man across the stadium with purple hair and a cape, standing in front of a Charizard. He struck a pose as the crowd cheered even louder than before. Kiyuki recognized him from the airport TVs. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop was cheering as well. “That’s my brother, Kiyuki! Do you see him?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed at his excitement. “I see him!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The camera then moved behind Leon, focusing on his opponent across the field. He was much taller than Leon, darker-skinned with bright blue eyes and a hoodie and orange cap. <em>That must be Raihan</em>. <em>He’s… pretty good-looking, actually, </em>Kiyuki thought to herself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan stood behind a metallic looking Pokémon, rolling his shoulders before calling out a challenge to Leon. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Exhibition or not, Leon, your pristine record is about to end — when I beat you here today!” He crouched down at the end, ready to battle. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know I don’t lose battles, Raihan!” Leon called back. “Charizard, Dynamax!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon’s Charizard became engulfed in a red light and started to grow. Its wings gradually become replaced with fire as it grew larger and larger, until it towered above the two trainers, as big as the stadium itself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki could feel Hop bouncing with excitement on the couch next to her as Raihan Dynamaxed his Pokémon in response. As it grew larger, Kiyuki realized that it was the metallic skyscraper-looking Pokémon she had seen in the airport. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop, what did you say that metallic Pokémon was called again?” Kiyuki asked before the Pokémon started trading attacks.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! That’s Duraludon. It’s a Dragon and Steel type. Raihan’s is one of the only ones known in the region that can Gigantamax!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Duraludon, </em>Kiyuki repeated to herself as the battle began. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Charizard made the first move, sending out a bird-shaped blast of fire that slammed into Duraludon. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Go Lee!” Hop cheered.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Duraludon roared when the attack connected, before retaliating with a dark purple twister that cut at Leon’s Charizard with dragon wings.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ultimately, Charizard managed to gain the upper hand, and Duraludon roared again as it shrunk back down to its normal size in a cloud of fire. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Both the crowd on the TV and Hop cheered again as Charizard returned to its normal size as well, taking its place behind its Trainer. Raihan hung his head for a moment before standing back up and shaking his head as he laughed, crossing to the centre of the field to shake Leon’s hand. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, what did you think?” Hop asked Kiyuki. “Isn’t Lee the best Champion ever?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled, “I can’t say I’ve seen many champion battles before, but it was very cool. I just can’t believe we would get to have battles like that during the Gym Challenge.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Believe it, Kiyuki, because we’ll be living it in a month! Let’s just hope they let you use Nimbus. Are you sure you haven’t heard anything back yet?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s been 4 days since I submitted the papers. Of course I haven’t heard anything back. Besides, I’d tell you if I did.” Kiyuki answered. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great! Now let’s go see if the food is ready, I feel like I could eat a Mudsdale right now!” With that, Hop jumped up, spun around and struck Leon’s Charizard pose. Kiyuki just laughed at him before following him outside. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So today is one of those 2 chapter days. I realized this one was relatively short as well, so it made more sense to post both. Just a note, most chapters in Part 1 will be from Kiyuki's point of view. There will be a few chapters (like this one) that are from Raihan's point of view instead. There will be more from his point of view later on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan was unbelievably bored. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After the exhibition match with Leon, Raihan had made his way back to Hammerlocke to prepare for the next season of the Gym Challenge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Except there wasn’t much for preparation to do. Being the last Gym that challengers faced, he had plenty of extra free time that didn’t have to be spent battling challengers or cleaning up after them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It left him a lot of time to think about how to beat Leon, to train, and mostly to absent-mindedly flip through social media. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>10-nil</em>, he thought, <em>I thought I had him this time. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan scrolled through Pokégram, and liked a few of Nessa’s photos that she posted of the Hulbury stadium, but reached photos he had already seen far too soon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sighed as he closed the app, opening his messages to Leon instead. Typing out a quick message of <em>I’m boooored, </em>he sent it and glanced up at the TV. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One of those silly baking shows was on, where contestants had to bake cupcakes using crazy ingredients to the satisfaction of a Slurpuff. It was a very strange show, and Raihan didn’t entirely know why he put it on in the first place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His phone buzzed with an incoming message from Leon, reading: <em>You do remember that I’m already on my way back to Postwick, right? I’ve been gone for 4 days, Rai. How are you bored already?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan smirked, typing: <em>Try not to get lost this time.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The response from Leon came within a few seconds.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>At least I don’t have to navigate the train. Besides, Hop will probably come find me at Wedgehurst anyways. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan: <em>Isn’t he starting the Gym Challenge this year?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>He’s 16, so yes. He’s probably going to try to convince me to give him an endorsement. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan: <em>Why wouldn’t you?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>I don’t know. I’m worried about him. He can get really flustered if a battle doesn’t go according to plan. Gets in his head too much trying to be like me. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan: <em>He’ll figure it out. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>I’m serious Rai. I’m not sure if I should. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan: <em>So am I. We figured it out, after all. And look at us, we turned out fine, right?</em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>Yeah… fine is not the word I’d use.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before Raihan could type a retort back, another message came in from Leon: <em>We’ve apparently had a new neighbour move in too, a girl that’s also 16.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan typed back. <em>Well, knowing your brother, he’s probably already made friends with her. He’s probably gonna try to convince you to endorse her too! Lol</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>Yeah… there’s a reason I haven’t endorsed any Gym Challengers during my entire time as Champion. Nevermind Trainers I haven’t ever met.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan<em>: Well, give her a chance at least. Maybe see if she can battle Hop?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>I don’t even know if she has a Pokémon, but maybe I’ll get them to battle if she does. Train’s stopping. Gotta go. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan:<em> K. Talk to you later. And make sure you don’t end up walking to Motostoke like last time :)</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon: <em>THAT WAS ONE TIME!! Nevermind. Bye. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan shut off his phone and looked around his apartment. The conversation with Leon didn’t help the fact that he was still bored. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nothing on TV, nothing on social media, nothing to prepare for the Gym Challenge. Not really any training to do either. There was a thunderstorm at the Lake of Outrage, so it would be too dangerous to fly there now. Raihan groaned and flopped down on his couch with the silly cupcake show still playing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at the ceiling for a moment, before hearing a buzz from the ground beside him. Flygon looked up at him, annoyed about having been woken up from his nap. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry Fly, didn’t mean to wake you up,” he told the sand dragon before stretching out his hand to scratch him under his chin. Flygon buzzed at him again, more of a happy buzz than an annoyed one. “Want to go to the vault? Just because.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon just looked at Raihan again before putting his head back down on the ground to go back to sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright then. Stay here. I’ll go on my own”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Shutting off the TV, Raihan crossed his apartment to the door. Before he could leave, he heard another buzz and wingbeats behind him. He glanced at Flygon over his shoulder. “Changed your mind?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon just gave him a look before following him down the stairs and out into the street, flapping his wings to soar a few metres above Raihan’s head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan followed the familiar roads out of the residential areas and towards the Stadium, waving at the people passing by. Normally, he cursed at just how far the residential areas were from the vault, but well, it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. <em>At least the sun is out, </em>he thought as he slowly wandered in the general direction of the vault. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One of the gym trainers, Stephanie, was at the reception desk when he walked in. She instantly jumped up and greeted him, making a bit of small talk since he had nothing better to do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan recalled Flygon back into his Ball before climbing up the stairs like he had done countless times before. This time though, he didn’t go into the vault itself, which contained the tapestries of the two heroes, having seen them so much anyways. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Instead, he stopped before the last few steps and looked out over the walls of the city to the Wild Area. This was one of his favourite places in the city, because of the view and how close it was to the vault and it’s history.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He could see pockets of rain and sandstorm scattered over the Wild Area, as well as the outlines of Motostoke, Hulbury, and Turffield. He still had no idea why the weather changed so quickly and drastically in the Wild Area. You could be standing in harsh sunlight, take a step forward, then be inside a snowstorm. It was a certainly strange, but he was used to it by now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out to read the text from Leon: <em>So my new neighbour in Postwick does actually have a Pokémon, and I bet you’d be very interested to see it.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That caught his attention. <em>What is it? What kind of Pokémon? Tell me!!!</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon’s response was rather disappointing to Raihan: <em>Nah. I think I’ll let you see for yourself at the opening ceremony. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>No fair!!! You can't do that and not tell me! </em>Raihan typed back. <em>And you make it sound like you've already decided to endorse her. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon’s only reply was: <em>Haven't decided yet. </em><em>:P </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>So not fair, </em>Raihan thought when Leon ignored his reply, pocketing his phone and heading back towards his apartment. Maybe something to do will have just magically appeared. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Rival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, now we're getting into the first battles. They're a little more anime-style than game-style, with a lot more dodging and crazy tactics than just standing in place and trading attacks. More exciting that way.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki held her new Rotom phone in her hand, flipping it over a few times as she examined it. It was lighter than she expected, but the fact that it had a Rotom living in it both excited and concerned her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She heard a knock at the door, but heard her mother opening it before she could get up from the living room couch. Their furniture had arrived the other day, so while the couch and beds were set up, most of their belongings were still in boxes stacked around the house. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop poked his head into the living room where she was sitting. ‘Hello, hello! Hey, nice phone! Also Lee says he wants to talk to you, so you better grab your backpack and come to my place before he gets lost again! I’ll wait for you outside!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And he was gone before Kiyuki could even say hello. She smiled to herself at his hastiness and crossed the house to her room to grab her backpack.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon had arrived the night before, after supper. It was too late for anything beyond introductions, but it was still early enough for a crowd to have gathered when he had arrived at the train station in Wedgehurst. Kiyuki was still amazed that she had gotten to meet the Champion of the region already, when she had only moved to less than a month ago. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When she got outside, Hop was at the bottom of the path leading to her house, telling off a Wooloo for using Tackle on the fencing. When it stopped for a moment, Hop turned back to her with his usual grin: “Now that that’s taken care of… How about it, Kiyuki? Let’s race! Bet I can make it to my house first, what with you lugging about that big old backpack!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed and jogged after him down the road. Leon was already waiting outside his house, holding some pieces of paper in his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt her stomach drop, having a feeling about what those papers were. She felt Nimbus settle down on top of her head as she walked up to Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned at her. “There you are. Sorry we didn’t get much of a chance to speak yesterday. I got in a little later than I anticipated.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki assured him it was no problem, nervously eyeing the papers in his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Usually we send these back by mail.” He told her. “But I decided to bring it to you directly since I was already coming to Postwick anyways. Anyways, I’m happy to inform you that your request to use a foreign Pokémon in the gym challenge has been approved!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He handed Kiyuki the papers, filled out exactly as before but now with a large stamp reading “approved” emblazoned across the top in blue ink. “Yes!” She cheered, grinning. Nimbus chirped back at her. “But, um… now what?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned back at her. “We have our first official battle, that’s what! Wooloo versus Swablu!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here? Is that allowed?” Kiyuki asked, looking at Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded. “Of course! I’ll officiate whenever you kids want to start.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki coaxed Nimbus off her head, holding out her hand. “What do you say, Nimbus? Ready for our first battle together?” </span>
  <span class="s1">Nimbus chirped at her, flying to the small battling pitch nearby and taking her spot, hovering in front of Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Whenever you’re ready, Hop!” She called at him, feeling both nervous yet excited. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop ran to his place across the pitch, letting Wooloo out of his Pokéball. Leon stood off to the side in the middle. “Alright, let the battle begin!” He grinned, raising his arm before dropping it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus, use Peck!” Kiyuki called, just as Hop called out for a Tackle. Nimbus was faster, and managed to land a hit on Wooloo before he had a chance to attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">However, Wooloo was able to retaliate and scored a hit on Nimbus, sending her flying backwards back towards Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you all right?” Kiyuki asked the Swablu, who chirped back at her as a confirmation. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>We need a different strategy, </em>she thought, <em>Hop’s attack did more damage than mine did, and we can’t just keep doing that indefinitely. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus, fly up and use Growl!” The Swablu obliged, rising up above the pitch and attacking Wooloo from above. She growled at him, lowering his attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Hop called out for another Tackle, Kiyuki responded quicker this time. “Stay above him! He’ll have a harder time hitting you.” Indeed, when Wooloo bounced up to try and hit Nimbus, she was able to dodge it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now dive and use Peck, then fly back up!” With Nimbus having a speed advantage over Wooloo, she managed to land the hit and get out of harm’s way before Wooloo could counterattack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Again!” She called, noticing Hop was getting a little flustered. His commands became less certain as his Wooloo got hit by another Peck. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">However, when Kiyuki called for another dive and Peck, Hop’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Wooloo, roll around!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time, when Nimbus’ attack connected, Wooloo’s rolling caused her to be flung out of the sky and onto the ground, but the Swablu got up right away, uninjured. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Wooloo has taken several hits by this points, </em>she thought, <em>but the dive and Peck strategy isn’t going to work anymore. Hmmm… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki commanded Nimbus to use Growl again, trying to buy a bit of time to come up with a new strategy. This time, when Wooloo’s tackle connected, it did very little damage and Nimbus stayed airborne. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Matching Hop’s grin, Kiyuki raised one hand and flung it forward. “Time for our secret weapon! Hyper Voice!” She yelled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus flapped her wings a few times, before hitting Wooloo with a blast of sound. With the damage he had taken from the Pecks, it was enough to knock out Wooloo. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop though had a disappointed look on his face as he recalled his Wooloo into it’s Pokéball, but the look was replaced with a smile once he met Kiyuki’s eyes. He laughed. “Well that was a shock! You and that Swablu are too much!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And Kiyuki wins! Excellent battle you two! I hope to see more of that in the future!” Leon exclaimed, clapping. Kiyuki had gotten so engrossed in the battle that she actually forgot he was there.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And Kiyuki,” he continued. “You’ve got real promise! In fact, I’ve got a favour to ask you. Be a real rival to Hop, would you? Push him, and make the both of you stronger!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki blushed slightly at the praise, but nodded and smiled back at Leon. “That I can do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I already want to get stronger and stronger!” Hop told Leon, “you’ve seen me battle now, Lee, so come on — you’ve gotta let me take on the Pokémon Gyms!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You? Join the Gym Challenge? You think you’re ready for the single greatest competition in the Galar region?” Leon asked, clearly hesitating a bit, “not putting the cart before the Rapidash there, Little Brother?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon sighed, then turned around and pointed in the direction in Wedgehurst, “if that’s really what you want to do, you two have a whole lot you need to learn about Pokémon. Before you think about getting Gym Badges, best think about getting a Pokédex. You’ll need that to learn lots of things about all the Pokémon out there and their strengths.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He continued, quieter this time, “but it’s more than just a collection of data, you know. It’s a record of a Trainer’s love and passion for Pokémon training! You can get them at the Research Lab in Wedgehurst.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right then, looks like it’s off to the Lab for you and me, Kiyuki! I bet I can beat you there!” Hop shouted, before running off out of the yard and down the road.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well I was going to say that I was gonna let the professor know to expect you two, but at that rate, he’ll get there before I get the phone out. You better let your Mom know that you’re heading out, Kiyuki.” Leon laughed, before heading back into his house. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki walked out onto the road, but before she could start towards the Lab, a crash came from the direction of her house. Moments later, Hop came running back up the drive, “Kiyuki! Did you hear that just now?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He started running again towards the sound, and Kiyuki jogged behind him. “The gate’s open! And the Wooloo that was there…” He trailed off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki remembered the Wooloo Hop had told off earlier for tackling the fencing. The gate was wide open, and the Wooloo was nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was tacking the fence pretty hard earlier. You don’t think it actually broke through there, do you?” Hop asked, sounding worried. “But it’s off-limits! Nobody’s supposed to go in there! I remember the professor’s granddaughter went in once, and she came back in a real state! And that was nothing compared to the earful she got from the professor afterward!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You said yourself the Slumbering Weald was full of strong Pokémon! We can’t just leave it there, it could get hurt! We’ve got to save it!” Kiyuki protested. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop shot her a worried look, but nodded. “I think so too. Even if we’re not supposed to, this is the kind of scene where you simply have to do what’s needed! Just be ready for anything, Kiyuki, I don’t want you to get hurt either.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sunlight quickly faded as Kiyuki followed Hop down the dirt and into the dense forest. The fog was thick, and swirled around her as her shoes sunk into the soft, damp soil beneath her feet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Eerie, </em>she thought, <em>but kind of peaceful too, in a strange way. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shivered as a chill ran down her spine. Hop had also stopped a few paces ahead of her. “Hey, Hop, are you getting the feeling that we’re being watched?” She asked as she shivered again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop nodded, “Yeah... but where do think that Wooloo got off to? The fog is really coming on thick now, if we don’t find it soon, this might be trouble.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki agreed. “Let’s get moving then, but we should probably stay together.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The pair continued through the fog, crossing a small bridge and skirting around a few patches of grass, before a howl rang through the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stopped and shivered again. “You heard that, right? That wasn’t just me I hope,” she asked Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah … Was that a Pokémon crying out, you think?! I’ve never heard one like that.” He replied, eyes wide. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It wasn’t the Wooloo, that’s for sure.” Kiyuki replied, taking a few more steps forward. The feeling of being watched was growing stronger, and the feeling that they shouldn’t be there was creeping up on her. <em>No, we have to save that Wooloo, </em>Kiyuki thought, and continued forward around another patch of grass, with Hop following her this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The howl came again, louder this time, as they reached a long, narrow path that stretched into the fog. Kiyuki still couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, although she had a suspicion that whatever what creating that howl was what was watching them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, Kiyuki! That Wooloo might be in real trouble!” Hop called back to her, running down the path. She followed him, but quickly lost sight of him as the fog became thicker. They reached what she assumed was a clearing, but the fog was so thick that couldn’t see anything beyond Hop’s ghostly outline. Even then, he was only a few feet away from her and she nearly walked into him as she stepped into the clearing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is mad, I can’t even see my own hand in front of my face!” He remarked. “I think I get now why this place is off-limits…” he trailed off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Agreed,” Kiyuki replied, shivering again and feeling the ever-increasing sensation of eyes watching her, making her extremely uneasy. “Maybe we should have grabbed Leon before coming in…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She trailed off as her back prickled and the alarm bells in her mind went off. Glancing around, she saw a ghostly, indistinguishable shape growing larger in the fog. Grabbing Hop’s arm to get his attention, the shape materialized into a large wolf-like Pokémon, almost as tall as she was.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gasped, as Hop jumped a foot in the air “What in the—?!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Pokémon was looking at her though, not at Hop. Its yellow eyes were locked with hers and it howled at her again, but made no move to attack them. Hand shaking, Kiyuki reached down to her belt and grabbed Nimbus’ Ball, letting her out as a precaution. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Swablu squawked in surprise as she came out and saw the wolf, backing up towards Kiyuki in fear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know, we’re in a bit of a situation here,” she whispered to the Swablu. “Just try your best, use Growl.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus drifted a little ways away from Kiyuki, and Growled at the wolf. But the air just shimmered around it, the move having no effect. Kiyuki watched it, and it watched her back, yellow eyes locked with hers, not blinking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wha—?! The move had no effect on it?!” Hop whispered beside her, his voice wavering. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Peck.” Kiyuki told Nimbus. The Swablu flew up and tried to attack the wolf, but the attack once again only caused the air around it to warp, doing no damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The wolf howled, and the fog swirled around it before closing in on her, obscuring her vision even more.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She vaguely heard Hop yelling her name, but her tongue felt tied as the wolf’s eyes stayed fixed on her, its eyes still standing out against the fog, practically glowing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She called out for a Hyper Voice from Nimbus, and heard the attack go off, but the wolf remained unaffected. A<em> Ghost-type? </em>She thought, <em>no, the Peck would’ve done something even if it was. This is something else entirely. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The fog became even thicker, until Kiyuki’s vision was completely obscured by it. Nimbus disappeared from view, as did the yellow eyes of the wolf. “I can’t see anything!” Hop yelled behind her, but she couldn’t pinpoint where he was. Everything felt strange, her skin prickled and she shivered even more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She heard Hop yell and the wolf howl again, before her vision starting spinning and she collapsed, passing out. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Kiyuki came to, most of the fog was gone. The prickling feeling of being watched had disappeared, and the blue outlines of the trees swayed gently overhead. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around for Nimbus and Hop. To her surprise, Nimbus had returned to her Ultra Ball at some point, even though Kiyuki didn’t remember doing that. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She heard Hop groan a few feet away as he stood up and shook his head. The wolf was gone, but Kiyuki still felt extremely disoriented. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She heard footsteps, “Hop! Kiyuki!” Leon called as he came running down the path into the clearing.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wha—? Lee? How’d you manage to find your way here? You’re pants with directions. You always get lost.” Hop asked, rubbing at his eye a few more times. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon put his hands on his Hop and looked disapprovingly at Hop, not smiling. “Oh, that’s nice to hear from the little brother who had me worried sick!” He retorted, “I’d been waiting ages for you two, and you never showed! Of course I came looking for the both of you!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop started, looking around the clearing. “Wait, where’s the Wooloo?! We were trying to rescue that Wooloo!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon just smiled, and gestured behind him, where the Wooloo they had come in for was being watched over by his Charizard. “The little chap’s just fine. Though all of you had fainted by the time I found you here. You know this place is out of bounds, but it took courage to come in here all the same. And I can understand well enough why you did it. You both did good!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop smiled at her. “At least the Wooloo’s alright, right Kiyuki? I thought we were done for when that weird fog started rolling in and that mad Pokémon attacked, but at least it wasn’t all for nothing!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon turned back around, confused. “Attacked by some mad Pokémon? What are you talking about, Hop?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop glanced down at his feet, then back at Kiyuki. “It seemed loads stronger than any Pokémon I’ve ever seen. And it just had this sort of presence. Our moves didn’t even touch it. I mean, really— they seemed to pass right through it!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, and confirmed what Hop had said. “It felt extremely powerful, almost like it’s been here for a really long time…”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your moves passed right through it?” Leon repeated, shocked. “Like it was an illusion or something?” He seemed to be more so talking to himself than to either Hop or Kiyuki. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Get strong enough and maybe the two of you could be the ones to reveal the truth someday.” He said, looking at the two of them again. “For now, let’s simply get out of this place. You’ll be all right now that I’m here with you!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That, Kiyuki could agree with. Even though she didn’t feel like she was being watched anymore, she still didn’t want to linger. As they walked out of the forest, the fog continued to thin and sunlight started to appear through the trees. “What an experience, right Kiyuki?” Hop asked as they were walking. “This’ll make a pretty fine first page in the tale of my legend! And yours too!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “Well I wouldn’t call mine a legend, but it really was quite the experience for me too!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We should probably actually get to Wedgehurst now, so let your Mom know! I’ll meet you there!” He told her as soon as they walked out back into Postwick, before running off down the route. Leon laughed and shook his head at Hop’s impatience, before giving Kiyuki a smile and running after his brother.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki let Nimbus back out of her ball, surprised to find that she was perfectly fine, albeit a little confused at what just happened. She floated behind Kiyuki as she climbed the path leading to her house, finding her mother in the kitchen sifting through some paperwork and scratching her Garchomp under her chin. She stood up as soon as Kiyuki came in.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! Thank goodness you’re all right! I heard what happened from the Champion, glad somebody bothered to tell me!” Giving Kiyuki her signature disapproving look, she pulled her into a hug. “Are you off to Wedgehurst now?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Yeah, Pokédex, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother smiled. “Always got to give you one. Well thank you for letting me know. I’ve got some pocket money and a few extra Pokéballs for you, and I know you know how to use them. Just make sure you look after Nimbus, and you can come home to rest anytime that you need.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned to Nimbus, telling her, “and make sure you take care of Kiyuki too, Nimbus. Don’t cause too much trouble, now!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After giving her mother another hug, Kiyuki left the house and headed down the road. Wedgehurst wasn’t very far, but there were Wooloo blocking the road. They were sleeping and were very cute, and Kiyuki didn’t have the heart to wake them up take the shorter road to Wedgehurst. But there was another path that went off to the side, through several patches of grass. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki didn’t get very far along that path though, before a small bird Pokémon hopped out of the grass. It eyed her cautiously, but didn’t back down, hopping closer instead. Kiyuki crouched down and held out her hand, smiling at the small bird. “Hello there, little guy” she told it as it cautiously hopped closer again. “Never seen a Pokémon like you before.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just as the bird was about to hop into her hand, a larger Pokémon of the same species burst out of grass and started attacking the smaller one. It pecked at the smaller one, which squawked and tried desperately to avoid the onslaught. “Hey! Stop that! Leave him alone!” She told off the larger one, but it predictably, didn’t listen to her. <em>Why would it, </em>she thought, <em>I’m not its trainer. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The smaller bird wasn’t backing down, wheeling through the air to try and land a hit on the larger one. Afraid it was going to get hurt, Kiyuki did the only thing she could think of, and let Nimbus out of her ball. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus, use Astonish on the larger bird! Don’t hit the small one, we’ve got to help it!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Swablu’s attack connected, which drew the larger bird’s attention away from the smaller one. It pecked at Nimbus, but she shielded herself with her wings. Before she could command Nimbus to attack again, the smaller bird Pokémon dove in and pecked at the large one, landing a solid hit. The large bird squawked, but Kiyuki commanded Nimbus to hit it with another Astonish. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The small bird came swooping in again while the large bird was distracted by Nimbus, and landed another solid peck. With this, the large bird squawked at it and at Nimbus, before flying off back into the grass. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nice job, little guy,” she told the bird Pokémon, “you too, Nimbus.” The bird Pokémon landed next to Nimbus and was bouncing in front of her as she watched, before she chirped happily and used her wings to brush the dirt off the bird. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>They seem to be getting along, </em>Kiyuki thought, before getting an idea. She reached into her bag and pulled out one of the empty Pokéballs that her mother gave her. She knelt on the ground, and held out the Ball towards the bird. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Want to come with, little guy? You’re a good little fighter, I could use you on my team.” The bird’s response was to chirp happily at her, before flying up and landing on the Ball. It used its foot to tap the button on the side, and it disappeared inside with a flash of light. It shook once, then again, then a third time in Kiyuki’s hand before sealing with a click. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Smilng, Kiyuki let the little bird out again. It chirped at her and hopped onto her outstretched hand. She sat down on the path and examined the bird. “You need a name. Hmm… Well you’re a male, what do you think about Cornelius?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius seemed to like his name, as he chirped at her and flew around in a circle before landing back on Kiyuki’s hand. She laughed, “I’ll take that as a yes, then. How about some training then?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He chirped at her again, so she returned both her Pokémon to their Balls, got up and dusted herself off before she kept walking. It wasn’t too long before she encountered a fox Pokémon, and had Cornelius weaken it before she caught it. She didn’t recognize this one either, or any of the Pokémon she had seen so far. <em>They must only be found in Galar, </em>she thought, <em>probably should get that Pokédex before I catch anything else I don’t recognize. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the path wasn’t too long, but Kiyuki stopped a few times to train Cornelius and Nimbus against some wild Pokémon. She encountered more of the small bird Pokémon, which Cornelius defeated, and some more of the fox Pokémon and a few squirrel Pokémon. The only Pokémon she had encountered that she did recognize were a Wooloo and a Grubbin. She caught both before she ran out of pokéballs and left the route, walking into Wedgehurst. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could see Leon’s Charizard in the main square, surrounded by people, but Leon wasn’t there with him. Glancing around, she saw him standing in front of a building off to the right that she assumed was the research lab, waving at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She waved back, heading down the path towards him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You made it! You did a far sight better than I did my first time. I’m hopeless with directions.” He laughed, “I’m sure glad I’ve got Charizard with me to keep me from getting lost all the time. Now, in we go!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With that, Leon turned and walked into the Research Lab, and Kiyuki followed him in. He looked around, smiling, “I’ve got to give it to Professor Magnolia. Everything in here looks fascinating.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard a small bark, and a small, yellow dog Pokémon appeared from behind a stack of books. It barked at Leon again, momentarily standing on it’s back legs and waving it’s front paws in the air before running up to him. Leon kneeled down to scratch the small Pokémon behind the ears. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s head snapped back up when she heard a woman’s voice. “What is it today, Leon? Looking for info on another never-before-seen, superstrong Pokémon? I wish you’d stop with these outlandish requests.” She sounded annoyed at him, yet at the same time, glad to see him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The woman had red hair tied up in a side ponytail, with glasses on her head, a brown coat, and light coloured jeans. She came down the stairs from the walkway above. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good to see you, too, Yamper!” Leon told the small dog Pokémon, who had now rolled over onto its back. “Yamper here is a real champ when it comes to helping you find your way around. He came to my rescue plenty of times back in the day, when I got lost on the road.” He told Kiyuki, before gesturing at the woman. “Oh yeah, and that’s his Trainer, Sonia. She makes good food, the kind of good food you could gobble down in a flash!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tsk. What kind of an introduction is that? Did you forget we were rivals during our our gym challenge?” Sonia chided. “It wasn’t just Yamper helping you out. I did, too.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I haven’t forgotten, how could I?” Leon replied, but Kiyuki could’ve sworn he was blushing a little. But she couldn’t really tell when he glanced back down at Yamper. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned to Kiyuki and smiled at her. “Anyway, nice to meet you! Name’s Sonia. I’m the professor’s assistant.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is Kiyuki,” Leon introduced her before she could. “She’s definitely familiar with Pokémon in general, but she only moved to Galar a month or so ago. Set her on the right path, would you? Also… could you show me how to get to the berry market?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia sighed, glancing down at Yamper. He seemed to know what she was asking, and ran past Kiyuki and out the door, with Leon following him. Sonia turned back to Kiyuki, exasperatedly covering her face with her hand, but Kiyuki noticed a slight blush. She sighed again. “What does he think I am? He’s always got his head in the clouds. It’s no wonder he gets lost all the time.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nevermind that though,” she continued, “I see you’ve got a Rotom Phone. Hey there Rotom!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s phone flew out of her pocket, buzzing at Sonia and hovering in the air in front of her. It was surprisingly fast, and Kiyuki jumped. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia smiled, “Rotom Phones are handy little things, aren’t they? They’ve got a map and a navigation tool. That said, Leon still gets lost, so…” She trailed off for a moment, before continuing. “Oh, sorry. Getting off topic there. So Leon says you know a lot about Pokémon.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Quite a lot, yes, at least I think so. I’ve never seen a lot of the Pokémon out there on Route 1, but I know my type matchups at least.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Where did you move from?” Sonia asked. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hoenn.” Kiyuki replied simply, not saying anything more. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Goodness, that’s a long way! In that case, I’ll make it so that you can use the Pokédex on your phone! C’mere for a second Rotom.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s phone hovered towards Sonia, who tapped it a few times before handing it back to her. She glanced down at the empty slots in the app, noticing that none of them were filled yet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just so you know, that Pokédex is a gift from my gran! Could you let her know that I gave you one? She lives in the house down along Route 2. And you can use that Pokédex now to identify the ones you didn’t recognize on Route 1.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thanked Sonia and left the lab. She stood outside and reached down to her belt to let Cornelius out. He chirped and did a few loops in the air. “Slow down!” Kiyuki laughed. “I still don’t actually know what kind Pokémon you are!” She raised her phone and held it up to Cornelius, snapping a picture. Rotom ran the picture through the Pokédex before coming up with an entry: </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Rookidee, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Flying-type. It will bravely challenge any opponent, no matter how powerful. This Pokémon benefits from every battle — even a defeat increases its strength a bit.</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rookidee, huh? I wonder what you evolve into, guess we’ll find out when we get there.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki did the same thing for the fox Pokémon she caught, finding out it was a Nickit, a Dark-type. Out of curiosity, she tried running a photo of Nimbus through the Dex, but wasn’t too surprised when Rotom came up with nothing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Continuing up the hill along the main road, she found Hop standing outside the Pokémon centre. “Got your Pokédex from Sonia?” He asked, to which Kiyuki nodded. “Then it’s time to start building up a strong team! Anyways, I’m sure you’ve been in a Pokémon centre before, but you should heal up your team before taking on Route 2!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ran off down the Route again, while Kiyuki walked into the Pokémon centre. The centre was a lot flashier than the ones in Hoenn, Kiyuki noticed immediately. Nurse Joy’s station was front and centre, a Pokémart clerk was running the shop on the right side, while a man accompanied by another Pokémon she didn’t recognize stood behind the counter on the left. The PC box was off to the left between Nurse Joy and the left counter, and there were tables scattered around with people standing at them, chatting with each other. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had Nurse Joy heal her team, then left the Pokémon centre. Kiyuki opted to explore Wedgehurst a little more before continuing on down Route 2. She found a berry shop nearby selling Oran, Cheri, and Pecha berries, and purchased a few of each, not quite sure which ones Cornelius liked. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tucking her berries away in her backpack, she glanced around before the store slightly up the hill caught her eye. It had outfits on mannequins lining the front windows, and double sliding glass doors. A clothing shop. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Glancing at her current outfit, she debated for a moment if she needed to go in there or not. There wasn’t anything wrong with her current outfit, it was just blue jeans and a navy blue T-shirt with the dragon-type symbol on it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She caved in, and ended up going in anyways. After trying what felt like a million hats and shirts, she ultimately left with a grey hoodie and a navy blue toque. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt a little guilty when she finally walked up to the entrance of Route 2, only to find Hop waiting for her. He didn’t seem too phased at her shopping detour, and just grinned and waved at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Listen, Kiyuki. I’ve been thinking, we need an endorsement to compete in the Gym Challenge, but Lee doesn’t seem to think I’m up to snuff. So I’m thinking I ought to talk to the professor and see if she could help!” Hop said as she approached. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re going to see if she’ll give you an endorsement?” Kiyuki asked. The whole idea of having to be endorsed was still a little new to her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop nodded. “That’s the idea! The professor’s house is at the end of Route 2, so let’s get going! I bet I can beat you there!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed and shrugged. “You probably will, I’m not running.” Hop laughed and took off running down the route and out of sight. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Wish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>From here on, I'm going to start to give quick recaps of Kiyuki's team before major battles. </p><p>Nimbus (Swablu): Peck, Hyper Voice, Sing, Fury Attack<br/>Cornelius (Rookidee): Peck, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Leer</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki followed Hop down Route 2, across a small bridge that crossed a slow-moving stream. She could see more Rookidee flying above the grass ahead, and quickly came up to Leon showing Hop how to catch Pokémon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned and smiled at her as she approached, “Looks like you already know how to catch Pokémon, so I’ll spare you the explanation. Your mum gave you those Pokéballs?” Kiyuki nodded. Leon pulled some more out of his bag and handed them to her. “I’ll give you some more, just go catch lots of Pokémon!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thanked him, and he followed Hop towards the Professor’s house. She continued on, taking her time, stopping to catch the squirrel Pokémon she had seen earlier, which her Pokédex identified as a Skwovet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It wasn’t long before she noticed a young boy ahead of her throwing a Pokéball up in the air and catching it. <em>A Pokémon Trainer, </em>Kiyuki realized. A<em>s soon as two Trainer’s eyes meet, a battle begins, right?. </em>Not seeing any way around him, Kiyuki pulled Cornelius’ Pokéball from her belt and approached the Trainer, who immediately challenged her to a battle as she expected. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The battle didn’t last very long though, since Cornelius was much stronger than the boy’s Skwovet. It only took a couple of attacks from Cornelius for it to be defeated. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time Kiyuki reached the professor’s house, she had defeated two more Trainers and caught a Chewtle and a Blipbug, two Pokémon she had never seen before. Hop was already in front of the house, and Leon was also there talking to an older woman in a lab coat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop waved at Kiyuki as she walked up. “Look! There’s the professor!” He said, gesturing to the woman in the lab coat. She was discussing something about Dynamax with Leon, but Kiyuki couldn’t make out a lot of what they were saying. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the Professor turned to them and smiled as they walked up. “Dear me, I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice my guests!” She walked towards them, leaning on her cane and adjusting her glasses. “My name is Magnolia. Welcome, young Trainers! And it’s good to see you again, Hop. My goodness you’ve grown!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good to see you too, Professor! Find out anything brilliant about Dynamax?” Hop grinned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia smiled. “Come now, Hop. So much like your brother, with Pokémon always on your mind.” She glanced at Kiyuki, still smiling. “And you must be Kiyuki. Leon was just telling me a bit about you. Ah, but what are we doing standing around? Come, let’s head indoors.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The group followed her inside, and Magnolia asked Kiyuki if she was from Hoenn. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled, a little surprised. “I am! How did you know?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia hummed. “Your name and your accent. Leon also mentioned you have a very interesting Pokémon, may I see?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Having an idea which one of her Pokémon Magnolia was referring to, Kiyuki let Nimbus out of her ball. She chirped as she came out, and drifted towards Magnolia as she watched. “Oh! A Swablu! And a shiny one too, very rare indeed. She looks very happy, my dear.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you.” Kiyuki replied, and coaxed Nimbus back to her shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now, I trust the both of you have received the Pokédex from Sonia. I’m sure you’ll have it complete in no time!” Magnolia addressed both her and Hop. “You must already know about Dynamaxing, right, Kiyuki?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just what Hop has told me,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Professor Magnolia’s been doing research into the Dynamax phenomenon for years and years. And it takes a proper understanding of the thing if you plan to use Dynamaxing to the fullest!” Leon told her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There you go again, Leon, always talking about Pokémon,” Magnolia chided. “There are other things that are worth knowing about, too, you know. For instance, the best types of tea!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed at Leon’s expression, and was tempted to ask Magnolia was the best type of tea was, but Hop chimed in before she could. “Hey, Professor, do us a favour, would you? Help me convince Lee he should endorse us for the Gym Challenge!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia turned and said something to Leon, and Kiyuki nervously watched their conversation. She knew that if she didn’t get an endorsement, getting permission to use Nimbus in the Gym Challenge would mean nothing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon turned back to them after a bit. “Right then. In that case… how about this? Let’s see if the two of you can show me such a brilliant battle that I’m left with no choice but to endorse you. And don’t worry. I’ll make sure both your teams are in good shape before the battle starts.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After their teams got healed, Hop turned back to Kiyuki. “Right! I’ll be waiting outside, Kiyuki!” And he ran off again, with Leon following him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Go on dearie,” Kiyuki heard Magnolia say to her, “I want to see what that Swablu of yours can do.” Kiyuki nodded and smiled at the Professor before following Hop outside, where he was already waiting at the battle pitch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, Kiyuki!” He called.“You’ve gotta battle me so I can get myself that endorsement! I’m going to become the greatest Pokémon Trainer there is, so come at me with everything you have to prove to Lee that we’ve got what it takes!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Taking her place on the pitch, Kiyuki knew she had to impress Leon to get that endorsement from him. <em>How am I supposed to impress the Champion with a Swablu and a Rookidee? And he’s already seen Nimbus battle Wooloo. I’m going to have to try something else.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Listen, you two.” Leon chimed in from the sidelines as Magnolia took her place beside him. “The reason I’m unbeatable is because I learn from every battle I see or take part in. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today.” He glanced at Hop, then at Kiyuki, “so show me something good in this battle!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is where my legend begins!” Hop called, rolling his shoulder once and sending out Wooloo. Kiyuki decided to lead with Cornelius instead of Nimbus, not yet having figured out a strategy for her yet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius chirped and settled down on the ground, staring down Wooloo. Kiyuki remembered that he had learned Hone Claws and Power Trip while they training on Route 2, thinking she could use that to her advantage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hone Claws!” Kiyuki called. Cornelius took to the air and sharpened his claws, raising both his attack and accuracy. “Stay airborne and get ready!” Kiyuki continued as Hop called for a Tackle. Wooloo started rolling towards Cornelius, who hovering in the air, not backing down. She waited until Wooloo was about to hit Cornelius, and yelled “roll to the side and use Power Trip!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They had briefly practiced this maneuver while training, so Cornelius immediately angled his wings and rolled quickly to the side, before doing a back flip and landing a boosted Power Trip on Wooloo before he could roll past. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The attack sent Wooloo skidding back towards Hop. He looked a little dazed from taking a powerful hit like that, but he got back up and bleated at Cornelius. Hop looked a little startled and a less sure of himself, but was definitely relieved when Wooloo got back up. “Umm… use Defence Curl!” He called, and Wooloo rolled on the spot, boosting his defence. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Another Power Trip isn’t going to be enough now, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>but he probably expecting me to attack again. </em>“Cornelius, use Leer!” The bird Pokémon obliged, glaring at Wooloo to lower its defence back to a level where another Power Trip would knock it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop commanded Wooloo to use Tackle again, and this time Cornelius didn’t get out the way in time. The attack connected, doing way more damage than Kiyuki thought it would and sending Cornelius staggering back. <em>A critical hit, </em>she grimaced, <em>lucky. We have to finish this quickly. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She called for another Power Trip, and Cornelius swooped in and attacked before Wooloo could react. After dropping Wooloo’s defence, it was enough to knock it out. Hop looked concerned as he recalled Wooloo with a shaking hand before sending out a Rookidee of his own. “It’ll be a close one! But that’s exactly my sort of of match! And I’ve added a trusty new ally to my team!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled at him, “Cornelius, return!” She called, returning her Rookidee to his ball, “you did great,” she whispered. “Get some rest, Nimbus can finish this.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She returned Cornelius to her belt, and let Nimbus out. She chirped at Hop’s Rookidee from across the pitch, hovering lightly in the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time Hop went first, calling for his Rookidee to use Peck. The attack connected, but didn’t do very much damage. Kiyuki smiled, <em>good, he went for it, </em>“Nimbus, use Sing!” With Rookidee so close, Nimbus’ song connected and put him to sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No! Rookidee, wake up!” Hop yelled, but it wasn’t enough, and Rookidee kept sleeping. “Now’s our chance, Nimbus!” Kiyuki called out, “Fury Attack!” The Swablu’s attack connected four times, but the 5th strike woke Rookidee up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use your speed and keep moving! Don’t get hit!” Hop called out, and his Rookidee chirped in response, flying around and picking up speed. “Use Peck!” He yelled, and Rookidee swooped in and attacked, and flew out of the way before she could retaliate. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>He’s doing the same thing I did against his Wooloo in our first battle, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>he had Wooloo roll around to counter it, but that’s not going to work with Nimbus. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fly up above it and use Hyper Voice!” Kiyuki told her Swablu, who flapped her wings and rose up above the heads of the two Trainers. She sent a Hyper Voice down towards Rookidee, but the bird Pokémon was moving too fast and the attack missed, hitting the pitch instead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But when her attack hit the ground, it sent up a small cloud of dirt, which gave Kiyuki an idea. Rookidee had now flown above Nimbus, and kept trying to dive down and Peck at her before flying away. Nimbus managed to dodge most of them, but she was taking a few hits. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus, dive down and get ready!” Kiyuki yelled, and Nimbus tucked her wings in and dove back towards the ground, anticipating Rookidee to follow her. Hop called out for him to do just that, and the two Pokémon flew down, but Rookidee was quickly gaining on Nimbus. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki waited until Nimbus was just a few feet from the ground. “Use Hyper Voice on the ground and pull up!” She yelled. The attack connected with the pitch and sent up a huge plume of dirt that had accumulated in the pitch over many battles. Like Kiyuki expected, hitting it with a full strength Hyper Voice did dislodge more dirt. Nimbus managed to dance out of the way of the dirt cloud, but Hop’s Rookidee got engulfed in it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fly up!” He commanded, although Kiyuki was expecting that and called for Nimbus to do the same. This time, when Rookidee emerged from the dirt cloud, Nimbus was on a collision course with him and landed a powerful Peck. After the Fury Attack from earlier, it was enough to knock out Hop’s Rookidee. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at the ground disappointedly as he recalled his Pokémon. Glancing up at her with his hand on the side of his head. “Oof! Gutted that I lost, but I’d expect nothing less from my rival!” He said. “And I even got my Pokéball throw perfect, too! But I guess going through the sting of defeat and the joy of victory is the key to the two of us getting stronger, right?” Kiyuki nodded in return, smiling at him, then turning to Leon as he approached. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki… That move with the Hyper Voice was brilliant! How did you know that would work?” He asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed. “I didn’t! I just had a feeling that it would cause a bigger cloud of dirt if Nimbus was closer to the ground when it hit.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well you assumed right!” Leon laughed. “And after seeing a match like that one, I suppose I’ve little choice but to give you both an endorsement as Champion!” He pulled two envelopes out of his pocket and handed one to each of them. But Kiyuki couldn’t help if he was planning on endorsing them both anyways, why else would he have two endorsements ready?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes! Thanks, Lee! I swear I’m going to win my way through the Gym Challenge to reach you!” Hop cheered, and Kiyuki thanked Leon as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled at them. “You may both be young still, and plenty rough around the edges, but it was a proper and exciting battle. Charizard and I were both feeling the excitement in every last cell in our bodies!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned back to Hop, placing his hands on his shoulders, “Hop, you’ve always tended to get caught up in things like how throw your Pokéball out, things that have nothing to do with real strength. Honestly, I’d been worried about you still obsessing over that sort of nonsense, but it seems you really have grown a bit, Little Brother!” Leon pulled his brother into a quick hug, then turned back to Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I’d like to see some more thrilling Pokémon battles out of you, Kiyuki! I see a ton of promise in you, and I know you are equally deserving of that endorsement!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled and blushed a bit at the praise, but thanked him again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, Kiyuki! You and me are going to train up against one another to aim for that Champion’s title!” Hop cheered, grinning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled back. ”Absolutely!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He suddenly glanced away from her, and up at the sky. “Huh?! What is that?” He asked, pointing. Kiyuki turned to see a bright ball streaking across the sky, purple from the setting sun. The ball landed a few feet away from them and split into two. Hop ran towards it and picked up whatever had fallen. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! Would you look at this? They’re Wishing Stars!” He said, handing one to her. It sparkled in her hand, slightly warm but surprisingly light. “With one of these, my Pokémon can Dynamax! They’re gonna be massive! YES!” He cheered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Trust you to pull something like this!” Kiyuki heard Leon say behind her. “They say Wishing Stars fall down for those who have a true wish in their heart, you know!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I will be the greatest trainer ever! I WILL be the greatest trainer ever! I WILL BE THE GREATEST TRAINER EVER! There! I’ve said it three times, so surely my wish will come true now, right?” Hop shouted, causing Kiyuki to laugh a little at his enthusiasm. Magnolia shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t be silly, Hop,” she chided. “Those Wishing Stars are composed of a curious sort of rock containing unknown power. They are one of the most precious resources we have here in the Galar region.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki glanced down at the small, sparkling stone in her hands. “Where do they come from?” She asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia continued, “We’re not sure, but they won’t do a thing for you in that state. Give them to me now, and I’ll have that sorted out.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki handed the stone to her, as did Hop. “Ah, right. You’ve done heaps of research on the Dynamax phenomenon, haven’t you, Professor? Then please! Give Kiyuki and me the power to Dynamax our Pokémon! First that mad Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald, and now this, it really feels like we’re getting caught up in the adventure of a lifetime!” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia smiled, holding their Wishing Stars in her hand, “I do understand your excitement, young man, but don’t get carried away. You want to save your energy for tomorrow’s journey!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki glanced up when she heard footsteps on the grass, raising her hand to wave at Sonia. “Seems I came back home right in time for all the excitement!” She laughed. “Hey, you lot, why not have some dinner. You must be hungry, right? I’ve been totally obsessed with making the latest trendy curries.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes!” Hop cheered and ran towards the house, followed by Leon, who flashed Sonia a grin as he ran past. Kiyuki noticed that Sonia blushed immediately, and shot her a knowing look. She was starting to have a suspicion that something was going on between those two. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shut it, Kiyuki. Not a word.” Sonia told her as the rest of them followed the boys back to the house, causing Kiyuki to laugh. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Wilds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki woke the next morning to sunlight drifting into the room. She had spent the night at Magnolia’s house, the Professor having graciously lent her a mat and sleeping bag. Nimbus was starting to wake up as well, having nestled herself beside Kiyuki’s head, giving a soft chirp. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She crawled out of her sleeping bag, careful not to wake Hop and Leon sleeping on mats beside her. Her sketchbook was still lying open beside her, where she was working on a sketch of the wolf Pokémon from the Slumbering Weald before she had fallen asleep. Nimbus settled herself on Kiyuki’s head again as she padded down the hall towards the kitchen. She could hear a low murmur of conversation coming from there, and Kiyuki found herself hoping that Magnolia had some tea already brewed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The conversation turned out to be Magnolia and Sonia, but they stopped immediately when she entered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good morning, dear,” Magnolia smiled. “Did you sleep well?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Yes, thank you again for letting me stay the night.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was no problem, dear. Would you like some tea? Cups are in the cupboard over there.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Thanking Magnolia again, Kiyuki poured herself some tea and sat down at the table. A moment later Sonia and Magnolia joined her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki, is it true you really met some Pokémon you didn’t recognize in the Slumbering Weald? Is there anything more you can tell me about it?” Sonia asked her. Kiyuki nodded taking a sip of her tea before describing everything she could remember about the mysterious wolf Pokémon her and Hop and encountered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the end, Sonia and Magnolia both looked more puzzled. But before they could ask anything else, Hop and Leon came into the kitchen, hair sticking up every which way. Kiyuki had to restrain a laugh, and noticed Sonia doing the same out of the corner of her eye. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah, that reminds me. Kiyuki, Hop, these are for you.” Magnolia said, and handed them each a white and red bracelet. It looked simple, but Kiyuki had a feeling the bracelet held a tremendous amount of power. She slipped it onto her wrist and adjusted it for a moment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Those are your Dynamax Bands.” Magnolia told them, “I made them by fitting the Wishing Stars you found last night into those bands.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Professor! This is brilliant!” Hop grinned, and Kiyuki voiced her thanks as well. “It’s just like the one Lee has on him, too. Now we can Dynamax our Pokémon like he does!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My word, you don’t waste any time, do you?” Magnolia laughed. “I think you’ll find it’s not so simple as all that. There are a number of conditions you must meet if you hope to have your Pokémon Dynamax. Now, don’t be afraid to go all sorts of places and meet all sorts of Pokémon.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The legend of my reign is finally about to begin!” Hop cheered, before running off towards the front door. “Thanks, Professor! Come on, Kiyuki! I’ll beat you to the station!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>And he’s gone again, </em>Kiyuki thought bemusedly, finishing her cup of tea. Leon laughed as well. “Well, I gotta head on to Motostoke, get ready for the opening ceremony. I trust you can find your way back to the train station, and to Motostoke, Kiyuki? You shouldn’t have too much trouble.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look who’s talking,” Sonia drily commented, crossing her arms and looking at Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He laughed again. “Too true. At least Kiyuki has a better sense of direction than I do! I’m off though, I will see you in Motostoke!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And with that, he was gone. Kiyuki thanked the Professor and Sonia again, before heading back to the spare bedroom to grab her stuff and fold up the sleeping mat as best as she could. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were a few clouds scattered across the sky today, but it was mostly sunny. She walked up the Route back towards Wedgehurst, defeating a wild Rookidee that attacked her. She took her time, giving herself a bit of time to think. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>The Gym Challenge… </em>She had an endorsement now, permission to use Nimbus, and a Dynamax Band but was still a little hesitant. There were so many ways this could go, either really bad or really well. Yet, she was also confident in her capabilities, and found that she enjoyed battling more than she thought she would. <em>And I have to get stronger… I will get revenge soon…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki snapped herself out of her thoughts once she reached the Pokémon centre in Wedgehurst, purchasing a few more potions and healing her team. The next stop was the train station, where Hop was already waiting for her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned and waved as she approached. “Cheers, mate!” He called, “I got something for you!” He handed her a grey-coloured disk, which Kiyuki recognized instantly as a Technical Machine. “It’s a Technical Machine, a TM!” Hop continued. “You can use them over and over again. That one teaches the move Swift. Lee gave me that one ages ago, but I wanted to give it to you. Anyways, our train is going to be here soon, so come on!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki followed him into the train station and purchased her ticket to Motostoke at the kiosk. They stepped towards the gate, but Kiyuki stopped and whirled around, having heard a voice from behind her. “Not so fast, you two!” Her mother called, waving at them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’re you doing here, Mum?” Hop asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I knew this day was coming as soon as you were old enough to enter the Gym Challenge, darling.” His mom told him, and Kiyuki’s mother chimed in. “Professor Magnolia was kind enough to let us know that you two were setting out.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki muttered an apology for being in a rush again and forgetting to tell her, but her mother waved her apology off. “We’ve got a last little gift to see you off. Camping kits for the both of you. I’ve been told the Wild Area is rather large, and a good spot for camping.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Mom,” Kiyuki said, tucking the camping gear into her backpack. Hop’s mother was talking to him some more, so Kiyuki asked her mother. “Will you be alright on your own?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded. “I’ll be at work at lot, and I’ve got Sylvia to keep me company, even though Garchomps aren’t great conversationalists. And I know that Lily is right next door if I ever have problems,” she said, gesturing at Hop’s mom. Kiyuki smiled at her and pulled her into a quick hug. “Just remember you can always come home whenever you want. And do remember to call sometimes, would you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I promise,” Kiyuki replied, and the whistle of the train blew behind them, signalling that it was about to leave. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, Kiyuki! We’re off!” She waved again at her mother and at Hop’s, scanning her ticket and stepping onto the train, which pulled away soon after. Kiyuki watched the train station disappear through the window, waving at her mother again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She quickly caught up to Hop, who was still wandering through the train cars, looking for a free seat as the train picked up speed. They eventually found one, and Kiyuki debated about letting Nimbus out. But there were a lot of people around, and Kiyuki knew Nimbus would attract a lot of attention, so she decided against it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They chatted about what they were going to do next, watching the green fields flying past. Hop told her about the Wild Area, and he made it sound massive. She wondered if it really was that big. <em>How much of Galar is actually the Wild Area? </em>She asked herself, but before she could ask Hop, the train started to slow and eventually came to a complete stop. “What’s going on? We can’t be here already!” He frowned, standing up and swinging his bag back around his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki followed him off the train, walking up to a man in a green vest. “Hey, Mr. Station Master! Isn’t this the Wild Area? What’re we stopped her for?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes… This is the Wild Area Station, make no mistake. I’m sorry to tell you that the train is halted, due to a flock of Wooloo on the tracks.” The Station Master replied, looking concerned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop, to Kiyuki’s surprise, grinned. “What’s there to be sorry about? This is brilliant!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Brilliant?” Kiyuki inquired.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah! This Wild Area is massive! There are loads of Pokémon to battle here! You get it, don’t you, Kiyuki? This is the best possible place to put together the greatest team!” He turned and ran out of the station, leaving the Station Master looking very confused. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Er… sorry, don’t worry about it. Thank you!” She told the Station Master before following Hop out of the station. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look at that!” He called as she came out of the station, and suddenly she could see what Hop was really going on about. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Wild Area was huge. She gaped as she walked towards the gate leading in. There were lakes and forests and open plains. She could see a huge, towering rock to the right, surrounded by towering cliffs and a lake. The path down the centre ran between two more lakes, with the drop down looking worryingly steep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Right in front of her, a city was visible, surrounded by high red brick walls and a massive set of stairs leading up. Further back, another city, which was pretty faint but had the appearance of a huge castle, with a tower jutting up from the centre. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s Motostoke, way off that way!” He grinned at her, snapping her out of her thoughts. “And between there and here are countless new Pokémon waiting to be met!” Kiyuki still felt a little dazed with the expanse before her, and scrambled for her phone, snapping a quick photo. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned around when she heard footsteps, and saw Sonia coming up towards them. Hop greeted her, and Sonia smiled at them in return. “My gran gave me a proper earful, in her own way, “those two young Trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?” She said, imitating Magnolia for her last sentence. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ouch, Professor,” Kiyuki winced, “I doubt you did anything to deserve that.” Sonia just shrugged. “Ah, never you mind that! Nothing to worry yourselves over! Besides, I’d been quite curious about that Pokémon you two met in the forest. I’d been thinking I should look into it, so the timing works out fine! If I discover something really huge, then maybe even Gran’ll admit I’ve got some talent!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yikes,” Hop said. “Being an adult has got its own challenges, eh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia turned to glare at him, twirling a piece of hair between her fingers “I said you needn’t worry about it! I’m glad to be on the road. Really! It’s been ages. It’ll be great fun to fish and camp and rough it outside again.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop shrugged, then said something about battling some strong Pokémon before running off again, disappearing down the hill. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia rolled her eyes, chiding Hop for being so quick to rush into battling stronger Pokémon. “Careful! You might want to avoid them until you’re stronger!” She yelled after him, but he was already gone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “By the sound of those Pokémon, I think I have a lot more training to do before I start battling them.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia nodded. “Well said. Oh, and one more thing for you. It’s a Pokémon Box Link, it’ll let you put Pokémon from your team into your Boxes whenever you want, no need to go to a Pokémon centre.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, what? We don’t need to use a PC to access the boxes?” Kiyuki added, surprised. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right, I suppose that would be a little new to you. They’re commonplace in Galar, although I must admit I’m surprised they haven’t caught on in other regions. They’re really convenient, ya know?” Sonia said, twirling her hair between her fingers again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was tempted to ask Sonia what was going on with Leon, but Sonia shooed her towards the Wild Area before she could. “So go on! The Wild Area is waiting for you! This is the start of your real adventure! Just make sure you get to Motostoke by Saturday.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled and thanked Sonia for the Box Link, walking out into the Wild Area, a little surprised when the weather immediately changed from the sun to completely overcast. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Arbitrarily choosing a direction, Kiyuki decided to head left towards the forested area. She was amazed at just how many Pokémon there were around. Combee buzzed around, Bunnelby, Metapod, and Tyrogue were rummaging through the grass. She noticed a massive Onix and a Haunter a little ways away, but she could tell that they were much stronger than either Nimbus or Cornelius. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So she avoided them and continued towards the forest, pausing once to catch a Bounsweet and a Minccino. Only when she realized that she had been walking for half and hour, and still hadn’t even reached the forest did she realize just how massive the Wild Area was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sun was starting to set when she reached the forest. <em>The Dappled Grove, </em>she thought as he scrolled through the map on her Rotom Phone. There were more extremely powerful Pokémon here, this time a Bewear and a Shiftry. Kiyuki didn’t want either of them to see her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She skirted around the edge of the forest, trying to not glance down the sheer cliff into the water below. Next thing she knew, she nearly tripped over an Oddish, which tried to attack her and was making way too much noise for Kiyuki’s liking. She arbitrarily threw a Pokéball at it to get it to quiet down, yet she surprisingly caught it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki managed to avoid both the Bewear and the Shiftry, and stopped underneath a tree. She leaned up against it for a moment, trying to assess where to go next. Some fog had rolled in once she had entered the forest, causing her to get a little turned around.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she must have bumped the tree a little too much, and a berry fell out and landed on her head. “Ow!” She cursed under her breath, picking up the offending berry and examining it. <em>A Sitrus berry, </em>she noticed, <em>these are good for eating. </em>Having an idea, she walked back to the berry tree and shook it. More berries fell out, a couple more Sitrus berries and a Chesto berry. She picked them up and walked into a clearing, noticing a few apples on the ground beneath another tree. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Checking around to make sure that Bewear hadn’t seen her, Kiyuki picked one up and checked it over for bruising. There wasn’t any, so she tucked it into her bag and picked out a few more. One of them looked different, being green instead of red and smelling very sour. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But as she stepped out of the forest, the fog instantly disappeared, replaced with a thunderstorm that lit up a tall, ruined stone tower. A flare of panic hit her at the rain, causing her memories to assault her again and sending her scrambling back towards the forest. The rain brought too many memories back, and she couldn’t keep her thoughts in check. She leaned back against a tree, drawing in and releasing several breaths to suppress the panic and the memories again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a bright flash out of the corner of her eye, causing Kiyuki to jump. She initially thought it was lightning, but calmed when she realized it was just Nimbus letting herself out of her Ball. She chirped softly and nuzzled against Kiyuki’s face, grounding her enough to calm down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks Nimbus. I guess we’re not getting to Motostoke tonight, want to just stop here and get something to eat? Maybe the rain will stop by morning.” Kiyuki said, pulling out her phone to check the time. To her surprise, it was already evening. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And Motostoke was much further away than she initially thought according to her map, much further than she could walk and still get there at a reasonable hour. Even if she did get through the rain. Plus she was hungry. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She changed her mind about reaching Motostoke before dusk and dropped her backpack on the ground, kneeling down next to it to pull out the camping gear her mother had given her. She pitched the tent a little further into the woods, following the instructions on the piece of paper that came with it, and set out a cooking pot, building a small fire underneath it. With everything set up, she let her team out: Nimbus, Cornelius, Nickit, Chewtle, Bounsweet, and Oddish. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Feel free to look around, you guys. But don’t wander too far. I’ll start cooking something to eat, make sure it’s a flavour that everyone will like.” Her Pokémon all made some sort of noise that Kiyuki took as a confirmation, before spreading out and checking out the environment and playing with each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched them all for a moment. She noticed that Nimbus and Cornelius had become fast friends, and they chased each other around the camp. Bounsweet and Oddish looked like they were having a conversation of some sort, while Chewtle and Nickit just wandered around, occasionally sniffing at the ground.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki pulled a small cutting board and a folding knife from her backpack. She pulled out one of the Fancy Apples she had found under the tree earlier and cut it up as best as she could before scraping it off the cutting board into the pot. She cut up some of the Oran, Cheri, and Pecha berries she had purchased in Wedgehurst, and one of the Sitrus berries, adding them to the pot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grabbed the small blue fan with the Magikarp pattern and started fanning the flames beneath the pot to heat it up. By this point, Nimbus and Cornelius had flown over to watch her, and Cornelius was attempting to use his wings to help fan the flames. It wasn’t working particularly well, but Kiyuki appreciated the effort.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once the flames were high enough, Kiyuki grabbed the wooden spoon and started stirring the berry mixture. Soup? Stew? Curry? She didn’t really know what to call it, but hoped it would taste alright. After adding a few more spices and some salt, Kiyuki poured spoonfuls onto plates for herself and her Pokémon and called her team over. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised. <em>Not bad, </em>she thought, <em>could be better. Maybe I’ll try to find a few more berries tomorrow.</em> Her Pokémon also seemed satisfied, judging by the way they were cleaning off their plates. There was still plenty of food left, so she gave herself and everyone second helpings to finish it all off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time they finished, it was completely dark, the fog taking on a ghostly atmosphere. Kiyuki cleaned up, and took the time to play with each of her Pokémon with a feather toy and a bouncy ball she found in the camping kit. When she started to feel herself getting tired, she called her team into the tent and put out the fire. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hasn’t been alone like this for quite a while, Kiyuki realized as she crawled into her sleeping bag. Her Pokémon settled themselves in various corners around the tent. Even since her father died, she always had her mother with her, but now she just had her team. It was strange, but Kiyuki didn’t have a chance to think about it anymore before she fell asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to everyone who's left comments and kudos! I really appreciate it. Hope everyone's doing well!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Motostoke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki woke the next morning with Nimbus and Cornelius sleeping soundly on either side of her head. Faint sunlight filtered through the canvas of the tent, and she reached over Nimbus to grab her phone to check the time. Rotom buzzed faintly when she turned it on, blinking at the light until her eyes adjusted. 9 o’clock. <em>Good time to get moving, </em>she thought. She quickly checked the weather as well, relieved to see no more rain between her and Motostoke. Just a sandstorm, which didn't bother her at all.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sitting up, Kiyuki gently woke up her team and let them outside the tent. She quickly threw some more presentable clothes on and brushed her hair before emerging from the tent herself. The fog from yesterday had disappeared, replaced with intense sunlight. Baltoy and Vulpix were milling around in the grass, quite different from the Purrloin that were everywhere yesterday. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki pulled a few more berries out of her bag, handing a Pecha berry to Nimbus, a Cheri berry to Cornelius, and an Oran berry to everyone else. They ate in relative silence as Kiyuki dissembled the tent and tucked it back into her backpack. She returned most her team to their Balls, except for Cornelius, who she brought over to a patch of grass where a wild Baltoy was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He weakened the Baltoy and Kiyuki caught it, and did the same for a wild Vulpix. After she sent the Vulpix to her box, she noticed that Cornelius looked a little different. But she couldn’t quite place what. Especially not with him doing loops in the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Cornelius, come here for a second.” She said, holding out her hand. The Rookidee obliged and landed, allowing her to take a closer look at him. It took her a moment to realize that some of his feathers were changing colour. The yellow feathers on his belly were now spotted with light blue feathers, and the darker blue feathers on the tips of his wings were gradually being replaced with black feathers. <em>Is that normal? </em>Kiyuki wondered, <em>maybe Hop would know. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually, Kiyuki left the forest and continued on up the hill towards a tall stone tower that she had briefly seen yesterday. It clearly hadn’t been used for an extremely long time, judging by the massive chunks of stone that were missing, exposing the inside of the tower to the elements. She peeked inside through a nearby crack in the stone, but found nothing inside, and nothing but darkness below. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were, however, plenty of Gastly and Duskull in the grass nearby. The fact that there were so many Ghost-types around this tower piqued Kiyuki’s interest even more, wondering what the story of this tower was. She caught one of each, swapping the Gastly into her party and sending Oddish to her box. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Making a mental note to ask Sonia about the tower, she continued on past it. A sandstorm replaced the sunlight as she got closer to the city, but there wasn’t anything particularly interesting in this area, except for a Mudbray that she caught. The sandstorm wasn’t particularly strong either, and she soon reached the stairs leading up to Motostoke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was breathing heavily by the time she got to the top, there were way more stairs then it looked like there was. But the sheer size of Motostoke immediately took her breath away again. Bells tolled somewhere in the city as she entered, watching the people walking on brick roads and giant wheels slowly turning as she caught her breath. Steam poured out of vents on the sides of the road, creating a hissing noise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki briefly stopped at the Pokémon centre to heal her team and went to leave, but nearly ran into Sonia as she was coming in. “Heya! Just who I was hoping to see! Real ace of you to make it through the Wild Area! While you’re here, I want to show you something that you probably won’t have seen before.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia showed her how to customize her League Card, then they left the Pokémon Centre and walked towards the centre of the town. Sonia told her about the opening ceremony, how exciting and moving it was to stand on the pitch of a stadium, and also how nervous she was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki tried to ask her a bit about her own gym challenge, but Sonia dodged the question. “It’s being held at the Motostoke Stadium.” She pointed to a tower across the city with the red and blue Pokémon League symbol on it. “You can use that lift over there to get to the stadium, ‘K? I’m going to swing by the shops while I’m here, but you need to go register at the Stadium. So, laters!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Actually, wait! I meant to ask you, do you happen to know anything about that big ruined tower in the Wild Area?” Kiyuki asked, remembering that she had meant to ask Sonia about that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The big ruined tower…” Sonia said, touching her chin. “Oh! You mean the Watchtower Ruins! I don’t know, sorry. Why do you ask?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No reason. I was just curious if there was some sort of story or legend behind it.” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh? Are you interested in that sort of thing?” Sonia asked, and Kiyuki nodded. “I was thinking about researching Galar’s legends, see if I can find something about that Pokémon you encountered in the Slumbering Weald. But I’ll tell you more about that later, you better go register.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki waved at her as she left, heading into the clothing shop. She wandered towards the lift (elevator?) Sonia had pointed out, but before she could get on, she heard a growl and wingbeats coming from behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned around to see Charizard flying towards her, and Leon running behind him. “I’d surely never make it to the stadium without you to show me the way, partner.” He told the Charizard, who flapped his wings in response. “Even with a huge old thing like this bang in the middle of the city, I still get lost. Doing all right, Kiyuki?” He asked her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, and he continued. “One look tells me that you’ve become a Trainer worthy of that endorsement I gave you! Are you heading up to the stadium to register?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded again. “Figured I might as well do it first thing, then I can explore the city later.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wise choice,” he said. “Mind if I join you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not at all,” she replied. “Actually, can I ask you something quickly?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course,” he smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki reached down to her belt and let Cornelius out of his ball, coaxing him back to her hand so Leon could look at him. “I noticed this morning that some of his feathers are changing colour, is that normal?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon nodded. “Definitely. He’s getting ready to evolve, that’s what!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Already? I feel like I just got him!” Kiyuki commented. “At least it’s nothing bad.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon laughed, and they both stepped onto the elevator. Charizard flew overhead, landing at the top. “Nope, it’s normal. Nothing to worry about.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki returned Cornelius to his ball, and Leon pressed the button to activate the elevator. The gears behind it started spinning, causing it to shift around and up, stopping in front of the stadium. Charizard led the way, and Kiyuki followed Leon inside, where Hop was already waiting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You made it, mate!” He called, “Motostoke stadium! This is where everyone’ll be watching the opening ceremony for the Gym Challenge. My Mum, your Mum, the world world! It’s getting me a bit nervous, really.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon clapped his brother on the shoulder, as Hop tried to backtrack by saying that he was only trembling from excitement. There was someone already in line to register, so Kiyuki turned back to Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Would you take a look at this, the place is packed with Gym Challengers!” He said. And it was, there were at least another 50 people, all about their age that were milling around the stadium. Many were wearing white uniforms, while others were still in their usual clothing. They all had Pokémon with them too, mostly a white a red rabbit Pokémon, a blue lizard Pokémon, and a green monkey Pokémon. Kiyuki figured they were likely the starter Pokémon of Galar, similar to Torchic, Mudkip, and Treecko. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At the desk, the boy with the fluffy white hair and pink jacket had apparently finished, and turned around. He fixed his hair and regarded her and Hop with a smug look on his face, then walked between them, bumping into Hop without so much as an apology. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seriously? What a piece of work.” Hop commented. Kiyuki was about to go after the boy in pink and wipe that look off his face, but Hop called her name, waving her to the desk that was now free. She headed to the desk instead, deciding there was plenty of time to kick that guy’s butt if he was also a Gym Challenger. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The League employee behind the counter asked for their endorsements, and Kiyuki and Hop both handed them to him. He took a look at the papers, and looked back up at them. “Fancy that,” he said. “This is the first time we’ve a Challenger, no, two Challengers endorsed by the Champion! What’s come over Leon this year?” He asked, glancing behind them at Leon, who just shrugged. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki let Hop get registered first, and zoned out for a moment until the employee asked her to choose a uniform number. “Umm…” Kiyuki thought for a second, glancing down at Nimbus’ Ultra Ball. “Number 334, please.” She said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excellent choice. Er… wait a second, it says here that you have filed to use a foreign Pokémon in the Gym Challenge. I’m afraid I’m going to have to verify the paperwork for that, if you please.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki dug through her bag and pulled out the papers, handing them to the employee. He flipped through them, typed something on the computer, and handed the papers back to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And here. Please wear this Challenge Band at all times to identify yourself as a Gym Challenger.” He continued, handing her a yellow bracelet marked with the symbol of the League, which she snapped onto her wrist above her Dynamax band. “The opening ceremony will be held here tomorrow. All the Trainers taking part have been booked a room at the nearby Budew Drop Inn.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop cheered, saying something about checking out the fancy digs before running off again. Kiyuki started to follow, but she heard the employee speak up again. “Challenger Kiyuki, if you don’t mind, may I see your Swablu?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki obliged, letting Nimbus out of her Ball so the employee could see her. He admired her for a moment, before smiling at Kiyuki. “Truly a beautiful Pokémon, thank you.” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thanked the employee again, and followed Hop out of the stadium. She left Nimbus out of her ball, allowing her to drift beside her. There was another employee waiting for her outside, who showed her to the Inn. The sky was already starting to darken, and Kiyuki realized she might not have enough time to explore the city today. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To her surprise, Sonia was already waiting inside, looking at a statue of some sort. She turned when she heard Kiyuki come up behind her, and Hop came up a moment later. “Hiya! Looks like you both got yourselves registered.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh hey, Sonia!” Hop greeted her, “What’re you doing at our hotel?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Researching the mysterious Pokémon that are said to be in the Slumbering Weald. I reckon that I might figure something out if I look into some of Galar’s legends. Care to join me? You’re already here anyways.” Sonia said, gesturing to the large statue behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop asked what it was, which Sonia said it was a statue of the hero that saved the Galar region. She told them the legend about the “Darkest Day,” and what they still didn’t know, which Kiyuki listened to with rapt attention. Hop commented that it looked like Sonia would have her hands full unravelling the legends. Kiyuki reassured her that she would be fine and offered to help in any way she could, before heading up the stairs to check in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Except the check in desk was blocked by a group of people with black clothing, hot pink hair and face paint. Kiyuki tried at first to squeeze past them, but the group wouldn’t budge. She tried politely asking them to move, but to her surprise, they threatened to challenge her to a battle if she wanted them to move. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Clearly being polite wouldn’t work, and Kiyuki was starting to realize just how hungry and tired she was now. She found her patience wearing thin, and decided she was just done with this group. Kiyuki crossed her arms and told them. “Bring it on.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That got their attention. They all turned around to face her, and one of them pulled out a horn of some sort from… somewhere. “Didn’t we tell you, mate? You get in our way, and you’re in for a battle! Team Yell’s all about helpin’… Helpin’ one very special Trainer win the Gym Challenge, that is! We wanna make sure she gets cheered on nice and proper… and now you’re gonna help us make some noise!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine, let’s go.” Kiyuki gritted her teeth, extending her arm and letting Nimbus drift down into position. She could hear some whispers from the bystanders when they noticed Nimbus, but she payed them no attention, allowing herself to focus entirely on the battle. The Team Yell Grunt sent out what looked a lot like the Zigzagoon that Kiyuki was extremely familiar with, except black and white instead of grey and white. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Either way, Kiyuki payed it no mind and commanded Nimbus to hit it with a Disarming Voice, surprised when it was super effective and knocked it out in one hit. <em>A Dark-type? </em>She thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunt though, was not very happy. “Oi, gimme a break here! Team Yell! Get revenge for me, wouldja?” A second Grunt sauntered up to her, holding a poster instead of a horn. <em>Bring it on, </em>Kiyuki thought, leaving Nimbus in position for battle. <em>You know nothing about wanting revenge. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of Team Yell shouted and blew their horns, making Kiyuki’s ears ring. This Grunt sent out a Nickit this time, which Nimbus easily defeated again with another Disarming Voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah, man! The swanky, sophisticated air in here had me off my game! I couldn’t keep my cool!” The Grunt complained, but Kiyuki glared at her until she shrunk back. <em>How many more of these idiots do I have to defeat before they give up? </em>She wondered, starting to feel her anger simmering even more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s voice behind her snapped her out of her thoughts, “I wasn’t expecting checking in would be such a big fuss, Kiyuki!” He said, grinning at her, but Kiyuki just turned back to glare at the Grunts. “What’s going on? Sneaking in some Pokémon battles without me? Don’t think you can get ahead of me that easily, I need to get some training in, so I’m joining!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Two more Grunts came up to them, but Kiyuki didn’t even pay attention to what they were saying, or even to Hop. One sent out another Zigzagoon, and the other one sent out a Nickit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now knowing that the Zigzagoon in Galar were Dark-types, Kiyuki commanded Nimbus to use Disarming Voice again. The Nickit managed to hit Hop’s Wooloo with a quick attack, but Nimbus knocked out both the Grunt’s Pokémon with a single hit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd in the lobby was whispering more now, as Kiyuki coaxed Nimbus back onto her shoulder. Team Yell were very upset now, and were saying something about how she better not get in their way. Kiyuki was ready to threaten them with Nimbus some more, but they all jumped when a quiet, female voice chimed in. “What are you lot doin’ here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki turned, snapping herself out of the battle haze and feeling her anger dissipate, looking for who had spoken. It was a girl with black hair and green-blue eyes, a little shorter than her and about the same height as Hop. She was wearing a black, spiked leather jacket over a light pink dress, and was accompanied by a Pokémon that looked a bit like a Pikachu, but definitely wasn’t one. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Team Yell stuttered out an excuse to the girl, Marnie, they called her, as she told them off for disrupting everyone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry ‘bout them!” She told Kiyuki and Hop. “They’re just a bunch of my fans. Call themselves Team Yell and follow me around, cheerin’ for me. I think they’ve let it all go to their heads a bit…” She sighed, turning back to Team Yell and telling them to go home, shooing them out of the hotel.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie apologized for their behaviour again, watching them dejectedly shuffle out. “So you’re a Gym Challenger, too?” Hop asked. “Pretty impressive that you already a set of fans to call your own!” Marnie gave him a small smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thanked Marnie, and turned away to go check in, hearing Hop talking to Marnie some more. She opted to just order room service for the evening as she walked up to her room, not feeling like going anywhere. It let her sit at the desk in her room and eat with no one else but her Pokémon, and gave her a bit of time to think about the last battle. She was a little concerned just how angry she got, how she nearly lost control, but she didn’t know exactly what about Team Yell caused that. They reminded her a little bit too much of Team Magma and Team Aqua, she realized, but less sinister. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But with the opening ceremony tomorrow morning, Kiyuki opted to shove those thoughts in the back of her mind. She quickly finished the drawing of the wolf Pokémon to make sure she was fully calm, and set her sketchbook aside once she was satisfied. Setting her alarm for the next morning, Kiyuki crawled into bed and fell asleep immediately. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Couple of notes: </p><p>I have a headcanon that Pokémon undergo subtle physical changes when they're close to evolving (i.e. like 3 levels away). So Cornelius' feathers are changing slightly to look more like Corvisquire's colours.</p><p>Also, does anyone else find it kind of strange that the Watchtower Ruins are never really explained in the game? I would've liked to know what it was, and why it sort of acts like a raid den, but only for events. And what's with all the Ghost-types around there?</p><p>Kiyuki's team is about level 15 at this point. I will have another team recap in a couple of chapters.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Ceremony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan swore again as he dumped out his bag onto the hotel room bed, having somehow managed to misplace his orange headband. Here he was, the morning of the opening ceremony, missing a critical part of his outfit. <em>I can’t go out like this! How could I have possibly lost it?! It’s bright orange! </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon buzzed from the bathroom, likely telling Raihan that it wasn’t in there. Raihan checked the floor again, but it wasn’t there either. He heard Duraludon’s cry, and glanced up. Duraludon had moved the pillows on the bed, revealing that his headband had somehow managed to get underneath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Dura. I have no idea how it got there.” He said, pulling the headband on and turning around to adjust it in the mirror behind him. Duraludon gave another little roar, then returned to his breakfast. Flygon stomped out of the bathroom as well, giving another annoyed buzz at Raihan. He turned his head to apologize again, but Flygon just gave him a look before finishing the last of his breakfast.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan glanced back at the mirror, adjusting the headband a little more before he decided he looked presentable. Duraludon had just finished his breakfast, but Flygon was starting to eye Raihan’s bagel, which Raihan quickly grabbed off the desk. “Oh no you don’t,” he told the sand dragon. “I’ll get you some more food after the ceremony, but we gotta get going.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon gave him another annoyed buzz, before Raihan returned him and Duraludon to their balls, clicking them to his belt. He checked over himself in the mirror yet again, double checking nothing was on backwards or something ridiculous like that. Grabbing his phone, he took a quick selfie, making sure the background was the window and not the messy hotel room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He quickly posted it to Pokégram with the caption: <em>Opening ceremony! Let the Challenge begin! #GymChallenge114. </em>Satisfied with his appearance, he grabbed the hotel room key and headed out, realizing he was cutting it a little close now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ate his bagel on the lift, wondering if Leon’s neighbour would be out there. He’s had enough time to think about what Pokémon she had, but all he could think of was that it had to be some sort of Dragon-type that wasn’t found in Galar. His guess was Dratini or Bagon, but he didn’t know he would actually be able to confirm his guess or not. That would depend if she got an endorsement.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The lobby of the Budew Drop Inn was crowded, mostly with Gym Challengers, some already in their uniforms. He weaved through the crowd, smiling at the Challengers that turned to look at him. There were more Challengers filing into the stadium, but Raihan headed to the side door of the stadium instead. The League staff guarding the door nodded at him, before swiping his key card to let him in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Most of the other gym leaders were already there, except for Allister, Melony, Nessa, and Piers. He saw Bea and Gordie and waved at them, so that explained why Allister and Melony were nowhere to be found. Piers didn’t usually show up for the opening ceremony, so that was no surprise either. <em>Nessa must have slept in, </em>he mused, before crossing the locker room to where Leon was standing, leaning up against the lockers typing on his phone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Still not going to tell me what Pokémon your neighbour has?” Raihan asked as he approached. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon glanced up from his phone, smirking at him. “Nope.” He said simply. “You’ll find out soon enough. Patience is a virtue, mate.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Assuming of course your neighbour got an endorsement, that is.” Raihan added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon waved him off. “Yes, she did. She’ll be out there.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How do you know?” Raihan retorted, crossing his arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I endorsed her.” Leon shut off his phone before smirking at Raihan again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan raised an eyebrow. “You? The undefeated Champion that never endorses anyone endorsed both his brother and his neighbour? I thought you had no intentions of endorsing anyone you didn’t know?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon laughed. “She shows a ton of promise. You should have seen her battle against Hop, it was one of the most exciting battles I’ve seen in quite a while. Her battling style was almost as if she’s had years of experience, but that was her first battle. Trust me, had you seen it, you would’ve endorsed her too”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll believe it when I see it. Maybe she has battled before.” Raihan replied simply. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She hasn’t. Had me fooled, I even had to ask her mother to confirm that. I’m looking forward to seeing how she fares against our Gyms.” Leon said.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan was certainly interested, but was cut off when he heard Chairman Rose beginning the usual introductions. The locker room door suddenly flew open with a bang, causing Rain to turn and smirk as a slightly red-faced Nessa barged in. <em>Definitely overslept.</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All the League staff in the room started rushing around, organizing the Gym Leaders for their appearance. Leon smiled again as Raihan took his usual place in the line between Bea and Opal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chairman Rose was still talking, but Raihan was hardly listening. He’s heard these same introductions every year since he’s been the Hammerlocke Gym Leader, and it was now his sixth year. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now, I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!” Chairman Rose called, snapping Raihan out of his thoughts. He stepped forward out of the dim lighting of the locker room onto the pitch, careful to keep his stride shorter than usual to avoid leaving the rest of the Gym Leaders behind. Raihan smiled, watching the crowd as they cheered, holding his phone in his left hand. The stands were packed, as usual.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose introduced each one of the Gym Leaders, going in the order in which the Challengers would be facing them. Milo, Nessa, Kabu, Bea, Opal, then Gordie.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan used his free hand to wave at the crowd as Rose introduced him. “And last but not least, the tamer of dragons … It’s Raihan, the top Gym Leader!” He said, and Raihan did a thumb’s up pose and snapped another selfie as he kept walking towards the centre of the pitch. These selfies were always his favourites, aside of course from his Gym battles and the Championship tournament selfies.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose continued talking, and after a while the crowd of Gym Challengers came out, accompanied by their partner Pokémon perched on their shoulders or walking beside them. Raihan scanned the crowd as they came closer, thinning out and lining up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He guessed there were about 60 Challengers, which was pretty typical. Most were accompanied by either a Scorbunny, a Grookey, or a Sobble, which was also nothing out of the ordinary. But there were a few that stood out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a boy with fluffy white hair, a smug look on his face, and a Hatenna on the ground beside him. Raihan didn’t recognize him, but he did recognize a girl with black hair and a Morpeko that was nearby. <em>Piers’ little sister, </em>he remembered, <em>shame he’s not here to see her. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He continued scanning the down the line, seeing a boy that looked like smaller version of Leon accompanied by a Wooloo. He was bouncing slightly on his feet, grinning and looking extremely excited. <em>There’s Leon’s brother, </em>he thought, <em>but where’s the neighbour… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He got his answer soon enough. Not too far from Leon’s brother was a girl with dark brown hairthat reached just past her shoulders, and brilliant blue eyes, almost the colour of the sky. She looked to be about a foot shorter than he was, maybe close to Leon’s height. She was certainly pretty, but what made Raihan stop was the Pokémon hovering in the air next to her. A Swablu. Actually, a shiny Swablu.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>That’s a Pokémon I haven’t seen in a long time, </em>he thought, watching its Trainer some more. She wasn’t smiling or waving, just scanning the crowd and the Gym Leaders. But she didn’t look nervous at all either. Oddly enough, she looked kind of sad. Eventually, her gaze swept his way and locked onto his. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away. They stared at each other for what felt like forever, neither averting their gaze. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan had completely tuned out Rose, and would’ve missed the cue to go back to the locker room if Nessa hadn’t elbowed him in the side, causing him to break his gaze away from Swablu girl. He followed Nessa back towards the locker room, but quickly glanced over his shoulder to catch the number on her jersey. 334. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon was waiting in the locker room when Raihan walked back in. “So?” He asked. “Did you see her?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan nodded. “I haven’t seen a Swablu in a very long time, much less a shiny one.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I had a feeling you’d be interested. Wait until you see her battle.” Leon replied, waving his hand as he headed out of the stadium, motioning Raihan to follow him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He continued to ask Leon questions about her as they made their way back to the Budew Drop Inn. Leon didn’t tell him much, but mentioned that she was from Hoenn, and had moved to Postwick about 2 months ago with her mother. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But this time, Raihan didn’t believe Leon was intentionally not telling him anything. It seemed like he didn’t actually know much about her, why she had moved to Galar. She was a bit of a mystery. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Leon stopped outside his hotel room, swiping the key card to unlock it, Raihan asked him one more question that he couldn’t believe he had forgotten to ask ealier. “What’s her name?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon stepped inside his hotel room, and Raihan thought for a moment that he wasn’t going to answer. But he glanced back over his shoulder and said, “Kiyuki. You’re going to miss check out if you hang around here any longer.” And with that, he closed the door, leaving Raihan in the hallway to process the information. He checked the time, cursing under his breath when he realized he had 5 minutes to pack his stuff and check out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan hurried down the hall to his own room, cursing again at the mess he had left after misplacing his headband that morning. There wasn’t enough time to fold anything, so he just grabbed what stuff he had brought and threw it into his bag. Quickly double checking the bathroom and under the pillows, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the lift. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He made it to the checkout desk with only 2 minutes to spare, cutting it much closer than he would’ve liked. Several Corviknight taxis were waiting outside, the huge metallic birds perched on top of the black cabs. Raihan went up to the nearest one, paying the cabbie ahead of time for a flight to Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan pulled out his phone once he was seated, and the Corviknight took off. He quickly checked Pokégram again, looking for any interesting new posts, but there wasn’t very much. His mind wandered back to the Gym Challengers, wondering what they could expect from this batch, and how many would make it to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Raihan decided he was quite looking forward to this year’s Gym Challenge. Having both Piers’ sister and Leon’s brother in the running was bound to bring some interesting battles, and then there was Kiyuki. He found himself quite intrigued by her and her Swablu, and the fact that even Leon didn’t really know who she was. <em>Mysterious Gym Challenger from Hoenn that suddenly moved to Galar for unknown reasons… very interesting… I’ll have to watch her Gym battles.</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Kiyuki… </em>he thought as the Corviknight started to descend into Hammerlocke. <em>I have a feeling you’ll be one to watch out for. But who are you?</em></span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Something I completely forgot to mention last chapter: Kiyuki's uniform number, 334, is Altaria's Pokédex number. </p><p>Sorry for the delay with posting this too, I wasn't at all satisfied with what I originally had, so this took a lot of editing (although I'm still not completely satisfied). It's a shorter chapter too, so I'm going to try to post another chapter in the morning.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Glow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Terribly sorry about not getting this chapter posted yesterday like I had planned, life just hit me in the face. I might not be able to post a chapter tomorrow either, but if I don't then I will certainly post two the next day. </p><p>Also, a question for you guys, my lovely readers. Would you prefer these team recaps at the beginning of the chapters or at the end? I've seen fics doing both, so I'm not sure if you guys have a preference. </p><p>Team recap: <br/>Nimbus (Swablu): Disarming Voice, Hyper Voice, Peck, Sing<br/>Cornelius (Rookidee): Pluck, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Fury Attack<br/>Other Pokémon: Chewtle, Bounsweet, Vulpix, Minccino</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki found herself at the entrance of Route 3 the next day, having spent an extra night in the hotel. The opening ceremony had been amazing, but somewhat overwhelming when she had stood out there on the pitch, surrounded by the cheering crowd. But all she could think about was what her father might’ve thought to see her standing there.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I can’t believe we’ll be battling the Gym Leaders in front of everyone like that. </em>She had thought it would be like it was in Hoenn, where the Gym Leaders were in an enclosed in a room away from all the action of the gym. It was quite different from what she was expecting, and what she was used now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And there were so many Challengers! Kiyuki hadn’t counted them, but the lobby had been absolutely packed. All the Gym Leaders were there too, and Rose had introduced each one of them. They all sounded incredibly strong, and Kiyuki was regretting not studying them any more, having gotten distracted by the one Gym Leader she already did recognize.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Although, she suspected it was Nimbus he was mostly interested in. Raihan was almost halfway across the stadium, but she had found herself unable to break her gaze from his. Kiyuki decided that he was even better looking in real life than on TV, and was now seriously embarrassed that she had stared that long. She was just glad Hop didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t say anything about it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With the opening ceremony over, she had to get moving. She had gone with Hop to the west exit of Motostoke, where stretched on over a hill, with more patches of grass and trainers between her. But Hop had challenged her to another battle first, and had just managed to land another hit on Cornelius while Kiyuki was distracted thinking about the opening ceremony. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus had already managed to defeat Wooloo, leaving Cornelius to battle Hop’s Rookidee. “Use Pluck, Cornelius!” Kiyuki called, watching her Rookidee loop through the air and land his attack, finishing off Hop’s Rookidee. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re a force to be reckoned with, mate!” Hop told her as he recalled his downed Rookidee. “But I’ll keep stronger and catch some super strong new Pokémon! I’ll end your winning streak soon enough!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not going to make it easy for you, I’ll have you know!” Kiyuki smiled, returning Cornelius to his Ball as well. “You’re heading to Turffield right away?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned and nodded. “Of course! Are you wanting to go together?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think I’m going to take my time, go a little slower than your usual pace.” Kiyuki laughed. “I’ll meet you there?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, mate! I’m just really excited! I bet I’ll get the Gym Badge before you even get there!” He waved at her, before taking off running down the route, disappearing over the hill. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew Turffield wasn’t particularly far away, and she had two weeks to challenge and defeat the first Gym Leader, which was apparently Milo. There was plenty of time, and Kiyuki wanted to catch and identify as many Galarian Pokémon as she could. A few Pokémon were rummaging around in the nearest patch of grass, including the black and white Zigzagoon she had seen the Team Yell Grunts using. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She caught one, surprised when her Pokédex told her it was a Normal/Dark type. She knew it had to be a Dark type since Nimbus’ Disarming Voice was super-effective, but she hadn’t expected it to be Normal type as well, like the Zigzagoon from home. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki quickly defeated a Trainer with a Vulpix, before another Pokémon that she didn’t recognize caught her eye. It was small, and had a bright yellow flower on its head. It had noticed her first, and had drifted over to her like a flower on the wind. Kiyuki watched it for a moment, but had to jump back when it tried to attack her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Backing up, Kiyuki had Nimbus weaken it and she threw a Pokéball at it. It stayed inside, and her Pokédex identified it as a Gossifleur, a Grass-type. That surprised her a little, she had expected a Fairy-type.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Continuing on, Kiyuki defeated another Trainer’s Pancham, and then a third Trainer who had a Budew and a Gossifleur. Cornelius’ feathers were definitely changing colour some more, he was constantly replacing the yellow feathers on his belly with blue feathers, and his wing tips were becoming noticeably darker all the time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Further along the path, Kiyuki noticed Sonia up ahead as she rounded the top of a small hill. She called out a greeting, waving as Sonia turned around and smiled at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Heya, Gym Challenger!” She said. “You looked real ace out there during the opening ceremony!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were there?” Kiyuki asked, and Sonia nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course, Leon got me a ticket. I haven’t been to the opening ceremony in a long time! And…” she smirked, and Kiyuki had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like where this was going. “I couldn’t help but notice that one particular gym leader seemed to looking in your direction an awful lot.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “If you’re talking about Raihan, I think it was Nimbus that caught his attention.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia just smirked again, twirling a piece of her hair. “Uh huh, sure. Believe what you will. Apparently he was interrogating Leon about you afterwards.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>What?! </em>Kiyuki felt her face heat up, and averted her gaze to the ground so Sonia wouldn’t see. She laughed again. “Oh, stop it, I’m just teasing you. Anyway, where’s Hop? You two are usually not too far apart.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He went on ahead of me. I’ve been taking my time, since I’ve got two weeks to defeat Milo.” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia rolled her eyes. “He can’t sit still at all, can he? Guess he really wants to catch up to his brother.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I think he’s just excited. But what’s this about Leon getting you a ticket?” Kiyuki smirked, not willing to let her off the hook that easily. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nothing!” Sonia replied, a little too quickly, her face taking on a pink tinge. She sighed and shook her head, reaching up to twirl her hair again. “You’re a little too observant sometimes, ya know? Nothing gets by you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll take that as a good thing. But why don’t you just… I don’t know, tell him?” Kiyuki asked, but Sonia shook her head again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No way. He’s the bloody Champion, and I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life yet!” She said. “But enough of that! While you’re here, lend me an ear. Let me tell you about something a bit interesting.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pointed out a building spewing white steam, further down a roped off path. Saying it was a power plant owned by Chairman Rose, who provided the Galar region with energy while also running the Pokémon league. Sonia mentioned that he seemed like a pretty brilliant guy, which Kiyuki agreed with. She had briefly gotten to meet him after the opening ceremony, and had gotten that impression. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia thanked her for listening, and handed her an Escape Rope as well. “Ya know, you being so observant is probably why you’re such a natural at Pokémon battles. The way to Turffield is pretty long, but that’s a kind of challenge in its own right. Good luck, Gym Challenger. And not a word about Leon to anybody, got it?” She commented, before heading off once Kiyuki promised not to tell anyone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The path seemed to be leading straight into the mountain, but it became obvious where the path was going once the entrance to a mine became visible. Kiyuki continued on, pausing once to catch a Rolycoly and defeat a few more Trainers.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The dark entrance of the mine loomed overhead as woman stationed at the entrance healed Kiyuki’s Pokémon for her. Now she understood why Sonia had given her an Escape Rope, but the mine had plenty of lights strung along the walls. Which was a relief, seeing none of her Pokémon knew Flash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it turned out she didn’t even need to consider the possibility of needing Flash. What caught Kiyuki’s attention immediately when she entered the mine were the beautiful glowing stones found all over the walls. They shone red, green, blue, and every colour in between, casting coloured shadows over the mine tunnels. It was still relatively dim, but the stones and the artificial lights provided more than enough light to see.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were Workers everywhere, making Kiyuki a little concerned that she would be disturbing them as she passed through. However, they didn’t seem to be working too hard, with the first Worker she passed challenging her to a battle, sending out a Roggenrola. Kiyuki easily defeated him using her new Gossifleur, and continued on, only for the next Worker to also challenge her to a battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time she reached the end of the tunnel, she had battled several more Workers and found plenty of items, including a TM for Scary Face. And had nearly gotten run over by a Pokémon on the rail tracks, which her Pokédex identified as a Carkol. She could see the daylight outside, but someone was standing in front, silhouetted against the light. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned as Kiyuki approached the end of the tracks. “Coming this way? I’d advise against it.” Kiyuki recognized him once he spoke, he was the one that was registering for the Gym Challenge right before her and Hop did. The one with the fluffy white hair pink coat. Kiyuki just ignored him and kept walking, and he continued. “Any Trainer with a Wishing Star is in for a beating from me and my Pokémon.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A beating? Yeah, sure. Alright then, try me.” Kiyuki told him, crossing her arms once she stopped in front of him. She already knew how rude he was, and had no intentions of being nice this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He studied her for a moment, fixing his hair. “You. You’re the Gym Challenger endorsed by the Champion, aren’t you? What a joke. You are aware that the chairman is more important than the Champion, right? I was chosen by the chairman himself, so that makes me more amazing than you!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki raised an eyebrow at him. “Uh huh, sure. Bold words for the man blocking the exit of the mine just to be petty. Who are you anyways?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He huffed. “Petty? My name is Bede, remember it. I suppose I should prove beyond doubt just how pathetic you are and how strong I am.” He looked down at her condescendingly, before pulling out a Great Ball and sending out a Solosis. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smirked at him. Knocking him down a peg would certainly be a lot of fun. “Bring it on, then.” She sent out Cornelius, who did a backflip before landing and eyeing his opponent. Kiyuki moved first, calling out for a Hone Claws. Cornelius raised his attack and accuracy, and Bede retaliated with a Confusion. The attack connected, but didn’t little damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Feeling like she was in a good spot, Kiyuki called for a second Hone Claws, then to dodge the incoming Confusion. Cornelius managed to get the Hone Claws off, but couldn’t get out of the way of the Confusion in time, and got hit. The attack did far more damage than the first one did. Kiyuki swore under her breath, <em>of course he gets a critical hit. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">However, Cornelius was still hanging on by the slightest sliver of health. “You can do it, Cornelius! Fly up and use Power Trip!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Rookidee chirped, rising up into the air until he reached the ceiling of the mine. But as he was diving to attack, Bede’s Solosis fired off another Confusion straight at Cornelius, and he was so close there was no way he could possibly get out of the way in time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki tried to shout out a warning, but Cornelius instead became encased in a bright blue light, causing the attack to fade harmlessly against him. In the split seconds that followed, Cornelius’ wings and tail elongated. He grew larger, talons becoming sharper, and the crest of feathers on his head become much more pronounced. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His Power Trip slammed into Solosis the moment the blue light faded, knocking it out in a single hit. The smug look on Bede’s face briefly wavered as he returned Solosis to its Ball and sent out a Gothita in its place. “I’m just giving your Pokémon a little chance to shine. That’s all.” He scoffed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Sure… whatever you want to believe. </em>Kiyuki thought as Cornelius returned to her side of the battlefield, landing and extending out his wings, triumphantly squawking as he prepared to battle against his new opponent. Kiyuki wanted to identify what he had evolved into, but there wasn’t time for that. There was still a battle going on, and a jerk that she still had to knock down a few pegs. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Power Trip again, Cornelius! Be ready to dodge!” He took off again, soaring towards the roof of the mine, Kiyuki noted that he was much faster now, and more nimble in the air. “Go!” She called, and he folded in his wings, diving towards the Gothita. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard Bede’s command for a Psybeam before she saw the attack come out. “Dive!” She called, and Cornelius instantly dropped down. The Psybeam missed, hitting the ceiling of the cave instead, causing a shower of small stones to rain down on her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius was now skimming the floor of the cave, causing dust to fly out in a trail behind him. He was fast approaching the Gothita, but Kiyuki knew that Bede would be waiting to attack Cornelius at point blank range to ensure he couldn’t dodge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Turn to the left and let your feet drag on the ground! It can’t hit you if it can’t see you!” Kiyuki called, and Cornelius instantly angled his wings to the left, letting himself partially land with both feet. His momentum caused him to skid, and a cloud of dust flew up and hit the Gothita in the face. It squeaked and waved its arms, trying to clear it away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Bede called for the point-blank Psybeam that Kiyuki was expecting, the dust prevented Gothita from getting a lock on the bird Pokémon, causing the attack to miss. “Back flip to the right and use Power Trip!” Kiyuki yelled. Cornelius nimbly flipped over his dust cloud and hit the Gothita square on with a boosted Power Trip. The attack was much too powerful for Gothita to take, and it went down in a single hit like the Solosis before it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh dear, what have I been doing? Well, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” Bede muttered, adjusting his Dynamax band. He readied another Great Ball and sent out a Pokémon that Kiyuki didn’t recognize. <em>I’ve really got to find a book or something on Galarian Pokémon so I don’t keep ending up in this situation, </em>Kiyuki thought, now cursing herself for forgetting to go to the bookstore in Motostoke. But since that Bede’s other two Pokémon were Psychic types, Kiyuki reasoned this one probably would be as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fly, Cornelius. Get close and use Power Trip again.” She told him, and her now evolved Rookidee flew up again and started his dive towards Bede’s Pokémon. He tried to hit Cornelius out of the air with a Disarming Voice, but with a command from Kiyuki, Cornelius tucked his wings in and dove under it. He then flew back up again, skimming the roof of the cave before diving again. He did the same thing when Bede’s Pokémon tried again to hit him with a Round this time, but Cornelius caught the Pokémon with a boosted Power Trip on his second dive down, knocking it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called Cornelius back to her arm, where he landed, breathing heavily. “Great job,” she whispered, and glanced back up at Bede when she heard him huff. “I see, well, that’s fine.” He muttered, glaring at her, “I wasn’t really trying all that hard anyway.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki matched his glare back at him, placing the hand that wasn’t holding Cornelius down on her hip. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. Will you get out of my way now?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Bede continued like he hadn’t even heard her. “Well, that was unexpected. I suppose you’re more able than I thought. Naturally, I’ll remember your battle style and strategies now. I’m sure to easily defeat you if and when we face each other in an official match.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, it will be a when we face each other. Because I’m not backing down, and you just lost. Now. Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” Kiyuki told him, gritting her teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede opened his mouth, then closed it with a click. He turned around and stalked out of the cave, muttering something about Wishing Stars. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki continued to glare at his back until he disappeared. Once he was gone, she sighed and leaned against the wall of the mine, finally taking a good look at Cornelius perched on her arm. “Now let’s see what you’ve evolved into,” she said, pulling out her phone and running him through her Pokédex. The result came back a moment later, Corvisquire. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Corvisquire, huh?” She said, reading the Pokédex entry, “it says here you can use some tools, that might give us some new battle strategies. Cornelius squawked in agreement, and Kiyuki returned him to his ball so he could get some rest. She continued leaning against the cave wall, taking a swig of water and letting her irritation dissolve. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once she felt she had calmed down enough, she tucked her water bottle back into the side of her backpack and left the cave, finally seeing Turffield just ahead. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Milo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about no update yesterday! We're getting into the Gym Battles now, but I'm not doing a team recap this chapter since I did one last chapter. And nothing's changed since that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop came sprinting out of Turffield stadium as Kiyuki walked up, having taken a quick detour to see the geoglyph with Sonia. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Take a look at this, Kiyuki!” He grinned, holding up a metal ring. Attached to it was a small piece of metal with green leaf pattern etched into it, and it took Kiyuki a moment to realize that it was the gym badge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The Grass Gym Badge! I got it in one try! I reckon I’m just about the greatest when it comes to wrangling Wooloo, I’d had plenty of practice at it, after all!” He said, tucking the ring back into his bag. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki grinned at him. “Congrats, Hop! And what’s this about wrangling Wooloo?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, I’m not going to spoil it!” He smiled, “assuming of course, you are attempting the gym now.” Kiyuki nodded, and he continued, “I’m sure you can win this one, too. After all, you are my rival! Good luck!” And with that, he was gone, waving at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Stepping into the gym, Kiyuki studied the Trainers all over the lobby. Many of them turned to look at her as she entered, and she heard snippets of whispers as she walked towards the Gym Trainer in a white and green uniform. She could hear them saying things like “endorsed by the Champion? Hop’s rival? Swablu?” So she paid them no mind and told the Gym Trainer that she was wanting to attempt the Gym Mission. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Gym Trainer pointed her off to the side towards a changing room, and Kiyuki stepped inside, pulling her Challenger uniform out of her backpack. She stared at the number 334 on the back for a moment, then pulled the uniform on and stashed her backpack in the lockers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She returned back out into the lobby, and the Gym Trainer moved aside to let her into the gym. She walked through a narrow hallway that opened up into the expanse of the stadium, at the top of a staircase. There was a door clear across, emblazoned with the symbol of the Gym, which Kiyuki assumed was her goal to reach. Several open areas separated by large stacks of hay were between her and the door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A Gym official approached her once Kiyuki reached the bottom of the steps. “The mission given Turffield’s Pokémon Gym is this! To chase our unruly Wooloo! To that blockade we’ve made from our bales of straw over there!” He said. <em>Ah, so that’s what Hop meant by wrangling Wooloo, </em>Kiyuki thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, by the way, you can call me Dan. I serve as a referee, and it’s also my job to report the results of battles to the League HQ. Now, let the Gym mission begin!” He shouted the last part and blew his whistle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stepped into the open area, approaching a group of Wooloo. They rolled away from her as she stepped closer, and she realized exactly what she had to do to get past this Gym mission. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Picking up her speed into a brisk jog, she corralled the large group of Wooloo towards the first hay bale blockade. There was a smaller group to the right, so Kiyuki jogged behind him, so that the smaller group joined with the larger one. She did the same with the group on the left, and eventually all the Wooloo were corralled onto the blue pad in front of the hay. The counter next to her flashed 20/20, and the Wooloo rolled forward as a group, knocking over the hay and opening up the next area. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki immediately noticed the Yamper in this second area, which the Wooloo rolled away from. With the Yamper on the side and Kiyuki running behind them, the Wooloo ended rolling towards the wall. Fortunately, they stayed together as a group and Kiyuki was able to herd them past the Yamper and onto the next blue pad. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A Gym Trainer blocked the way, and challenged her to a battle, sending out a Gossifleur. But Nimbus easily defeated it, allowing Kiyuki to follow the Wooloo through the knocked-down blockade. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next open area had two hedges in it, dividing the area into 3 paths. The right one had another Trainer, the middle had a Yamper, but the left was clear. Kiyuki herded the Wooloo through that path and onto the blue pad. <em>Easy, </em>she thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next area was once again segmented by hedges, two horizontal and two vertical. There were two Yamper this time, each one running in circles around the vertical hedges. Kiyuki slowed for a moment to watch their movements. Timing it so the Yamper was at the far left of the field, she herded the Wooloo towards the other side of the left hedge closer to the centre. Past the Yamper, another Gym Trainer blocked the way. Nimbus easily defeated the Trainer’s Bounsweet and Oddish. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Wooloo herd busted down the final hay bale blockade and rolled off the field, gates closing behind them. Breathing heavily, Kiyuki climbed the steps up to the door, and the whistle of Dan the referee rang out, “Gym mission cleared!” He called out, and Kiyuki heard the door slide open behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned out and stared into the dark tunnel, taking a cautious step forward. Her stride lengthened as she pressed forward, seeing light at the end. Only when she got closer did she realize it led directly into the stadium, where she would presumably battle Milo. Kiyuki stopped for a moment to use a potion on Nimbus, then continued forward. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sucked in a breath when she heard the announcer call her name and number, now mere steps away from the grassy pitch. A thought crossed her mind, causing her to wonder for a moment if Raihan was watching the battle. But she quickly pushed the thought out of her head and stepped onto the pitch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd was cheering when she emerged from the tunnels, trying to inconspicuously wipe her sweaty hands off on her shorts and stop them from shaking. When that failed, she clenched them into fists and stood up straighter, trying to look confident. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Milo had emerged out of the other side of the stadium, and was walking towards her. They both stopped at the centre of the pitch, in the middle of the large Pokéball pattern, and turned to face each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My Gym’s the first one people face, so we get a lot of challengers,” he said, voice gentle. Yet Kiyuki could still hear him easily over the steady hum of the crowd. “That’s why I try to keep the Gym mission challenging, but that didn’t stop you from completing it, Kiyuki!” Proper job!” Kiyuki smiled at him, feeling her nerves start to relax. “Sure seems like you understand Pokémon real well. This is gonna be a doozy of a battle! I’ll have to Dynamax my Pokémon if I want to win!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And with that, they turned away from each other and walked back out to a distance better for battling. The noise of the crowd started to rise, seeing the battle was about to begin. Milo grinned at her, grabbing a Pokéball from his belt, sending out a Gossifleur. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>This is it, first Gym Battle…</em>Kiyuki thought, sending out Nimbus. “I was hoping you would use that Swablu of yours!” Milo called to her from across the pitch. “Show me what she can do!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki grinned at him, feeling her confidence growing. “Nimbus, get above it and use Disarming Voice!” She called, and Nimbus responded with a chirp. She drifted up, sending a Disarming Voice down at Milo’s Gossifleur, who didn’t manage to dodge. Kiyuki noticed that her attack didn’t do as much damage as she was hoping. <em>Good special defence, </em>she thought, <em>but Nimbus still knows Peck, just got to get in close…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a command from Milo, Gossifleur shot a Round up at Nimbus. “Counter it with another Disarming Voice!” Kiyuki yelled, hoping that one sound attack would cancel out another. The two attacks slammed into each other in midair, colliding in a screech that made Kiyuki’s ears ring. The sound disoriented both Nimbus and Gossifleur for a moment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use Sing!” Kiyuki yelled, trying to ignore the ringing in her ears. Nimbus took longer than usual to recover, and launched another song towards Gossifleur. But Gossifleur had also recovered, and spun out of the way of the song, causing it to fade harmlessly against the ground. Milo counterattacked with a Magical Leaf, which connected with Nimbus. She briefly fell through the air until she managed to get her wings back out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>This isn’t working, we need a new plan. </em>Kiyuki remembered the noise that Disarming Voice and Round had made earlier, how it disoriented Gossifleur long enough where she could easily land an attack. She could use that to her advantage, but how could she stop Nimbus from getting disoriented? I<em>t’s not like she can stuff cotton into her ears or… oh! </em>Her thought trail stopped as it all clicked into place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cotton. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus!” She called, “I have an idea, but you need to be ready to move fast! Can you do that?” She heard the Swablu chirp in confirmation. “Good! Now land and use Disarming Voice again!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus shrugged off the second Magical Leaf and dropped to the ground, keeping her wings outstretched to take off at a moment’s notice. She shot a Disarming Voice at the Gossifleur, but the flower Pokémon nimbly spun out of the way and tried to hit Nimbus with a Rapid Spin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was expecting some sort of physical attack now that Nimbus had come down, so with a quick shout, she was able to do a flip and dodge it. <em>Come on, Milo. Use Round again. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Disarming Voice!” Kiyuki yelled once Nimbus had landed again, and this time, she heard Milo yell out a command for a Round to block the attack. <em>Time to see if this works. </em>“Use your wings to cover your ears!” She called. Nimbus obliged, and when the attacks connected and sent out the screeching noise again, Nimbus was unaffected. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ignoring the ringing in her own ears, Kiyuki saw Nimbus stretch out her wings again, indicating that she could hear her. “Use Peck!” She yelled, barely able to hear herself, but Nimbus heard her just fine. She shot off the ground towards Gossifleur and rammed into it with two subsequent Pecks while it was disoriented by the sound blast. The attacks were enough to knock it out, and the crowd cheered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Milo returned Gossifleur to its ball, smiling at Kiyuki. “We’re not going to be done in that easy! We’re tough as weeds!” Milo cheered, and Kiyuki could hear him now that her ears had stopped ringing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki recalled Nimbus, thanking the Swablu for her hard work, and sent out Cornelius in her place. Milo sent out a new Pokémon Kiyuki didn’t recognize again, but she knew it had to be a Grass-type. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd started to chant now that Milo was on his last Pokémon. “Come on, then! It’s Dynamax time, Eldegoss! You’re about to be uprooted!” He yelled, before Dynamaxing his Pokémon, Eldegoss, apparently. It towered over the battle, kicking up a massive cloud of dust as it landed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki gaped up at it for a moment, before activating her own Dynamax band. Going by what Leon had showed her, she recalled Cornelius into his ball and held it out next to her. A few beams of red energy emerged from her Dynamax band like wisps of smoke, and disappeared into the Pokéball, causing it to grow. The ball shimmered with energy, and Kiyuki grabbed it with her other hand, bringing it behind her head and throwing it out as far as she could.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius grew behind her, growing larger and larger until he reached his full size. His cry echoed around the stadium, and Kiyuki could feel the wind whipped up from his wingbeats as she turned back towards Milo.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re not backing down either! Max Airstream!” Kiyuki yelled over the crowd, and Cornelius squawked before sending out a twisting pillar of wind at Eldegoss. It connected and did a considerable amount of damage while also raising Cornelius’ speed, but wasn’t enough to knock Eldegoss out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This’ll really leave you in shock and awe. It’s our Dynamax move! Max Overgrowth!” Milo called, and Eldegoss sent several enormous seeds at Cornelius, which burst into life and cut at the Corvisquire. The plants caused a wave of grass to spread across the battlefield. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Grassy terrain, </em>Kiyuki realized, feeling the soft grass squish beneath her feet. Cornelius was fine after the attack, his wingbeats still strong. Kiyuki called for another Max Airstream, hoping to knock out Eldegoss before it healed itself too much from the terrain. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The second attack was enough, and Kiyuki watched Eldegoss become engulfed in a column of flame, letting out an echoing cry as it shrunk back to its normal size. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The battle over, Cornelius also shrunk back down and came to land on Kiyuki’s shoulder. He spread out his wings and squawked in victory, and Kiyuki smiled at him. “Great job! Get some rest now, alright?” She scratched him under his beak and returned him to his ball, before turning back to Milo. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well done!” He called, smiling and walking back towards the centre of the pitch. Kiyuki met him there. “That must have been a fulfilling Pokémon battle for you! As proof that you have defeated a Gym Leader for the Gym Challenge, allow me to present you with your very own Grass Badge!” They each stepped forward and shook hands. Milo handed her a metal ring like Hop had, as well as the Grass Badge already snapped in place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She stared it for a moment in pride, before grinning at Milo again. “You need to obtain all eight Gym Badges in order to complete the Gym Challenge. And the only way to gather the Badges is to defeat every Gym Leader!” He told her, grinning. Kiyuki thanked him for the battle and headed back to the tunnel where he had gestured for her to go, and she found herself back in the locker room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She quickly changed back into her usual grey hoodie, navy striped T-shirt, blue jeans, and now with the Gym Challenger Sport’s Cap she had bought in Motostoke. After chasing Wooloo and battling Milo, her mouth was unbelievably dry, and she took another gulp of water from her water bottle. She grabbed her backpack from the lockers and checked herself in the mirror again, before stepping back out into the lobby. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Gym Trainer outside congratulated her for defeating Milo and handed her a TM for Magical Leaf and a Grass-type Gym uniform. But before she could leave, she was stopped by Milo. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Some advice for you, Kiyuki,” he said. “The Gym Challenge has a set order you’ll need to follow. So that means your next stop should be in Hulbury to meet Nessa, the Water-type Gym Leader. Hulbury’s just beyond Route 5.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s thoughts stuttered. <em>Water-types?! </em>She was expecting to be up against a Water-type Gym at some point, but she didn’t expect so soon. “Which way is Route 5?” She asked, trying to keep her thoughts coherent. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Milo pointed her in the right direction. “By the way,” he continued, “your strategy with the sound blast was really quite something! Same with that Swablu of yours!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki relaxed a little. “Your Eldegoss did great too, Milo! Don’t give me all the credit!” She laughed, and thanked him once again before leaving the stadium. Although dreading the next Gym. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Nessa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: there are mentions of a panic attack in this chapter. If this bothers you, please skip it. I have a chapter summary in the end notes. </p>
<p>Team recap:<br/>Nimbus (Swablu): Sing, Disarming Voice, Hyper Voice, Peck<br/>Cornelius (Corvisquire): Pluck, Taunt, Hone Claws, Power Trip</p>
<p>Other Pokémon: Drednaw, Drifloon, Eldegoss, Steenee</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stepped out of the tunnel connecting Route 5 to Hulbury. She had spent the last two days training on the Route, catching a Stufful, a Galarian Farfetch’d, a Swirlix, and a Drifloon. Nimbus and Cornelius were both much stronger, and Cornelius had learned to use Taunt. Her Bounsweet, Chewtle, and Gossifleur had all evolved as well.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Plus, she had ran into a Doctor, who gave her a bike as thanks for getting rid of Team Yell, and battled Hop again. He had an Eevee with him this time, causing Kiyuki to smile when she remembered the story behind it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Apparently, he had run into Marnie again on Route 4, and had run out of Pokéballs when they had run into the Eevee. Marnie had given him a spare Dusk Ball to catch it, which explained why it was in that instead of a regular Pokéball, like the rest of Hop’s team. Kiyuki thought the story was cute, much to Hop’s embarrassment. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But battling Hop again had been good training, so Kiyuki felt like she was ready to challenge the Gym. At least as ready as she would probably ever be. But being around so much water so soon scared her, and she was still dreading this Gym. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At the same time, she had no intentions of failing the Gym Challenge only at the second Gym. Failing so soon was not an option, she wouldn’t be strong enough for revenge. So Kiyuki was fully intending to head there immediately after healing her Pokémon at the Pokémon Centre. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hulbury was on the ocean, and Kiyuki could see the Stadium and a red and white lighthouse on the water. Houses lined the road inland, and Kiyuki could see a market to the right before the road curved and disappeared into another tunnel. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Pokémon Centre was right there, so Kiyuki stopped in to heal her Pokémon and purchase some Great Balls and Super Potions at the Pokémart. When she came out, a crowd had gathered at the fork in the road nearby. She noticed a badly disguised Chairman Rose and his secretary, who was trying to shoo the crowd away. Glancing behind the secretary, Kiyuki noticed Bede standing smugly a little ways off. <em>Great. Why him? </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chairman Rose shouted something about autographs after the dispersing crowd, but they were gone, so he turned to say something to his secretary. Bede chimed in, but Kiyuki couldn’t hear what they were saying. She was relieved when he walked off after a while, heading towards the tunnel. Kiyuki tried to skirt around the chairman and the secretary to get to the Gym, not wanting to bother them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The chairman’s voice stopped her, and she turned back to see him coming towards her, flanked by his secretary. “Ah, your name was… Kiyuki, right? We were just talking about you!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled at him. So much for not bothering them. “Hello, Chairman! Nothing too bad, I hope?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He laughed. “No, no, nothing of that sort! I admit I’m curious about Leon’s reasons for endorsing you. Ah! I just had a good idea, as I tend to do! You’re going to face Gym Leader Nessa soon, yes?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, “I was just about to head there now, in fact.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah! Then I won’t keep you. But if you get a Gym Badge from her, I’ll hold a celebration. I’d like to get to know you a little better, after all!” He told her. His secretary leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and he bade Kiyuki farewell, heading off towards the right. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki headed off down the road towards the stadium, shoving the panic down again. The entrance was blocked by a woman with a fishing rod, who told her the Gym Leader wasn’t there and pointed towards the lighthouse. Kiyuki followed the path, watching some people fishing off the docks for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She found Nessa moments later at the base of the lighthouse, staring out to sea. “You must be a Gym Challenger, right?” She asked as Kiyuki stepped closer, without even turning around. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good guess.” Kiyuki laughed. “How did you know?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa turned around, and Kiyuki recognized her as the Gym Leader that had elbowed Raihan at the opening ceremony. “We’ve all heard about the ones endorsed by Leon, especially you, Challenger Kiyuki. You’ve become something of a hot topic among the Gym Leaders.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki blushed, and Nessa smiled at her, handing her one of her League Cards. “Here you go, Miss Famous. I already heard about you, so you should learn about me, too. I’ll meet you at the stadium. I love Pokémon battles even more than fishing, and I’m itching for a battle with you! And someone insisted that I text him when you got here.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She left, leaving Kiyuki standing by the lighthouse. She watched Nessa leave and jumped back when a wave crashed against the wall. Kiyuki shoved the panic back down again, and followed Nessa to the stadium. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Why did it have to be a Water-type Gym? 18 types and it just had to be Water. </em>Kiyuki mentally grumbled as she stepped into the Gym mission, adjusting the sleeve of her Gym uniform. Upon first glance, it was very different than Milo’s Gym mission, and featured a maze blocked by water gushing out of red, yellow, and blue pipes. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dan the referee explained the Gym mission to her, and Kiyuki started towards the first red button, trying to avoid looking down into the water below. She defeated the first Gym Trainer, and pressed the button, which shut the water flow off from the red pipe, allowing her to proceed. She focused on the sound of her feet on the metal platform, trying to ignore the sound of the water. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next area featured two buttons, one red and one yellow. The path to the right was open, but more water blocked her way forward. It cut at her senses, and Kiyuki shoved the panic back down again, forcing herself to move forward when all she wanted to do was run. Defeating the second Gym Trainer, she pressed the yellow button, then cut around the left to the red button, opening up the next path. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki felt her panic rising again as she climbed the steps, but she couldn’t stifle it again when she accidentally glanced down into the water below. Her mind started to slip back to Hoenn, to her father, the flood, Bagon, as she desperately tried to regain control. But her attempts to control her thoughts fizzled out, and she fell to her knees on the metal walkway. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a bright flash as Nimbus let herself out of her ball again. Sucking in a shaky breath through her constricted throat, Kiyuki ran her fingers across Nimbus’ wings trying to ground herself. She stayed like that until she felt like she could breathe, having no idea just how long that was. But eventually, she felt calm enough to glance back up. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The world was the same, water gushing out the pipes and into what was just a swimming pool below. Not raging floodwaters, just a swimming pool. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I am in a Gym mission, not in Hoenn. </em>Kiyuki reminded herself. “We’ve got to finish this, Nimbus. Can you stay out for me? Please?” She asked the Swablu, who was lightly hovering in the air in front of her. Nimbus chirped in reply before settling herself on Kiyuki’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt incredibly drained and tired as she slowly got to her feet, taking a slow, shaky step forward. Her steps eventually lengthened, and she continued on to the next area of the puzzle. 3 buttons this time, and with a bit of trial and error, Kiyuki managed to open up the path leading to Nessa. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Continually reminding herself that she was in a Gym battle, Kiyuki walked down the dark tunnel and onto the pitch, which was made of a slick, waterproof material instead of grass. Like before with Milo, she met Nessa in the centre of the pitch, turning to face her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome, honoured Gym Challenger! I think you already realize, but I’m Nessa. Sorry to have made you look for me. I don’t doubt my humble mission’s difficulty, yet you cleared it. Your mind as a Pokémon Trainer must be quite refined.” She said, giving Kiyuki a small smile. <em>I am in a Gym Battle, not in Hoenn.</em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, her gaze boring into Kiyuki’s. “No matter what kind of plan your refined mind may be plotting, my partner and I will be sure to sink it.” With that, Nessa spun around and walked back out to the battle line, and Kiyuki did the same as the noise of the crowd started to rise. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa held out a Dive Ball, before sending out a Goldeen. <em>I am in a Gym Battle, not in Hoenn, </em>Kiyuki reminded herself yet again, sending out Cornelius. Nimbus shifted herself around on Kiyuki’s shoulder, reminding her she was still there. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use Taunt! Don’t let it set up!” Kiyuki called, and Cornelius squawked at Goldeen, stopping the Agility it was going for. <em>Good, now we keep the speed advantage. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hone Claws!” Kiyuki yelled. Goldeen threw itself at him with a Horn Attack, but Cornelius managed to dodge it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pluck! Before it moves!” The Taunt had made Goldeen quite reckless, and Cornelius retaining the speed advantage proved to be critical, as it wasn’t able to avoid the Pluck. And with the attack boost, her attack was enough to knock it out. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered, and Nessa recalled the downed Goldeen, sending out a fish Pokémon Kiyuki didn’t know. <em>I really need to find a book on Galarian Pokémon, </em>she mentally chided herself for finding herself in the same situation again. Facing an unfamiliar Pokémon for what felt like the millionth time. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She watched the fish Pokémon for a moment as Cornelius returned to her side of the battlefield. It was certainly a Water-type, and was narrow and streamlined, so Kiyuki had a feeling it would be quite fast and nimble, but also quite frail. Cornelius still had the attack boost from earlier, so if she could hit it, then it might just go down in a single hit. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa moved first this time, calling out for an Aqua Jet. <em>Priority attack, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>that’s going to be hard to dodge. </em>And it was, the speed of the attack meant that Cornelius couldn’t get out of the way in time and got hit. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook the water off his feathers and squawked at the fish Pokémon, and Kiyuki called for another Pluck. Cornelius shot towards the fish, which aimed a Whirlpool at Cornelius as he approached. “Roll to the left!” Kiyuki yelled, and in a split second, Cornelius tucked his wings and rolled out of the way, then continuing flying towards Nessa’s Pokémon. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was stopped in his tracks by a second Aqua Jet, and Kiyuki realized that Nessa had placed the attack where Cornelius was going to be, not where he was. But that was something she could take advantage of. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fly up, Cornelius! Get ready to dive and use Pluck!” After shaking the water off his feathers again, Cornelius rose up into the air and dove at the fish, while Kiyuki waited for Nessa’s move. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When she called out for a Bite, Kiyuki was ready. “Pull up!” She yelled, and Cornelius spread his wings open, slowing his descent just enough so the fish Pokémon bit down on empty air instead. “Now! Pluck!” Cornelius resumed his dive, landing his attack on the fish, but it wasn’t enough to knock it out. But before Cornelius could react, Nessa landed another Aqua Jet and knocked out Cornelius. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Crap… </em>Kiyuki recalled him and sent out her Eldegoss in his place. With her type advantage, Eldegoss was easily to withstand the Aqua Jet and knock out the fish Pokémon with a Magical Leaf, who was already low on health from Cornelius. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>One more, </em>Kiyuki thought, getting ready to switch Eldegoss out for Steenee. “Looks like I’m down to one last Pokémon. I’ve been saving the best for last!” Nessa called to her from across the pitch, sending out a Drednaw. Kiyuki knew full well what this Pokémon could do, having one herself. It scared her, frankly. <em>I am in a Gym Battle, not in Hoenn. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She continued, “flood the stadium and make it our ocean! Drednaw, time to Dynamax!” She yelled, recalling her Drednaw into its ball and throwing it behind her. It grew to its enormous size and roared, echoing around the stadium. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki responded in kind, Dynamaxing her Steenee. Nessa’s Drednaw was faster, and sent out a Max Geyser that slammed into Steenee. Despite it being a resisted hit, it did a sizeable amount of damage and caused it to start raining. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s mind froze again, starting to slip, but Nimbus kept her mostly grounded in the moment. It was enough for her to yell “Max Overgrowth!” Which Kiyuki knew was extremely effective against the Water/Rock-type Drednaw. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She breathed out in relief when it was enough to knock out Drednaw and the rain faded away, allowing Kiyuki to think again. Steenee shrunk down to her normal size, and Kiyuki returned her before turning back to Nessa. She had her hands on her head in frustration after being defeated, but eventually dropped her hands back down and stepped forward. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The battlers returned to the centre of the pitch. Nessa regarded her for a moment. “How? How can this be?!” She still looked frustrated, closing her eyes and sighing. “Now that I’ve battled you, I think I understand. Continue to seize victories in the Gym Challenge with your Pokémon. You have an incredible spirit that may even be enough to challenge the Champion.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled at her, feeling even more drained now that the battle was over. “You and your Pokémon are indeed deserving of this Gym Badge.” Nessa shook her hand and handed her the Water Badge, directing her to challenge the Fire-Type Gym Leader next. Kiyuki clicked the badge into her Badge ring, across from the Grass Badge. The water droplet pattern gleamed, reminding her that she had somehow gotten through the Water-type Gym.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki soon found herself back in the locker room. She had changed out of her soggy Gym uniform and was brushing her hair, trying to make herself look presentable, even though all she wanted to do was go to bed. She stared at herself in the mirror, cursing to herself after noticing that her eyes were still slightly red from her panic in the water maze. <em>Too many bad memories, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>I knew I would have a hard time getting through this Gym. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A gentle knock at the door snapped Kiyuki out of her thoughts, she turned to see Nessa there. “Are you alright? You seemed like you had a bit of trouble during the mission.” She asked gently, stepping closer. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Yeah… I mean, no offence to you or to your Pokémon, but I’ve just had some bad experiences with Water-type Pokémon. And with water in general. Some bad memories got dredged up, that’s all.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No offence taken. Did you want to talk about it? I’ll listen.” Nessa asked, leaning up against the lockers across from her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Kiyuki shook her head. “Thank you, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. Maybe at some point, but not yet. But I’m not going to let it stop me in the meantime.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa smiled, stepping forward and placing her hands on Kiyuki’s shoulders. “That’s a good mindset. You did battle extremely well, by the way. Raihan asked me to tell you that, and for once, I agree with him. As much as I don’t like to lose.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki felt her face heat up. “H-He was watching that?! You’re kidding.” She stammered. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nessa laughed. “Just the battle against me. And take it as a compliment. Not many Gym Challengers can catch his eye like that. I think he’s seriously hoping that you’ll make to the end of the Challenge so he can battle you himself. Are you doing better now?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, smiling at Nessa and thanking her, actually feeling a little better now. Gathering the rest of her stuff, she stepped outside of the stadium. She was very much looking forward to going to bed immediately. But that plan fell apart instantly when she saw Chairman Rose’s secretary waiting for her. <em>Right… dinner. </em>She remembered the encounter from earlier that day as she reluctantly followed the secretary to the restaurant. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter summary: <br/>Kiyuki arrives in Hulbury to challenge Nessa. After briefly talking with the chairman, she finds Nessa at the lighthouse, and meets her back at the Gym to begin the Gym mission. She begins the water maze, but finds the water bringing back too many bad memories, and has to stop to calm herself down. Eventually with some help from Nimbus, she manages to calm down enough to finish the water maze and reach Nessa. Cornelius manages to knock out Goldeen, and nearly manages to defeat Nessa's Arrokuda, but ultimately falls to an Aqua Jet. Eldegoss finishes off Arrokuda, and Kiyuki Dynamaxes her Steenee to defeat Drednaw, earning her the Water Badge. Nessa comes to find her afterwards, making sure she's alright and to pass a message on from Raihan.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Mine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki spent an extra day in the hotel in Hulbury after dinner with the chairman and Sonia, letting herself recover from the Gym battle. The day after, she got a text from Hop, asking her to meet him at Galar mine No. 2. From what he said, the next Gym Leader, Kabu, was apparently training there. And in order to challenge him, they needed to go find him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Which is why Kiyuki found herself entering the dark tunnel of the second mine. This one still had the same glowing stones as the first mine lining the walls, but there were no mine cart tracks here. There was also less artificial lighting, making the mine much darker, but also more colourful. There were also still pools of water on either side of the path, but it was wide enough for Kiyuki to skirt around the water without fear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were several Water-type Pokémon around as well, and Kiyuki caught a Shellos and a Binacle. As much as she was reluctant to have even more Water-type Pokémon with her, besides the Drednaw she already had, she told herself that she would need them for the Fire-type Gym. The Eldegoss and Steenee that she had wouldn’t be much help. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t get much further before a figure in a long pink coat came into view. <em>Not again…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede turned around when he heard her approach. “You again.” He said, walking towards her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki crossed her arms and glared at him. “You again,” she echoed back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d feel sorry for my Pokémon if I made them take part in a battle against low-level opponents.” He huffed, fixing his hair. “I’m not in the mood to deal with weaklings right now.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki snorted. “Neither am I, so why are you still talking to me?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede huffed again and regarded her, “Me?! Weaker than you! Laughable! If you’re under that misguided impression, then surely you would be up for a Pokémon battle.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like you even need to ask. I’m not the kind of person to let others get away with blatant lies.” Kiyuki replied flatly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede almost seemed to sputter a bit, but regained his composure a moment later. “It’s utterly inconceivable that I, the challenger chosen by the chairman, will lose!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki backed away from him to a suitable battling distance, whispering to Nimbus on her shoulder. “Go ahead. Show him what you can do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus drifted down from her shoulder and hovered above the ground as Bede sent out his Solosis. “Disarming Voice! Test out his defences!” Kiyuki called, and Nimbus rose up slightly in the air, firing off the attack. It connected and did more damage than she was expecting, but it wasn’t a critical hit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Psyshock.” Bede commanded. <em>He’s not messing around, </em>Kiyuki thought. <em>Good. Because neither am I. </em>The pointed psychic stones flew towards Nimbus, but Kiyuki yelled “Hyper Voice them out of the air!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had seen this exact strategy before, although she couldn’t remember where. But Nimbus’ attack blasted the Psyshock out of the air, sending the stones scattering around the cave. A few of them rebounded and hit Solosis, damaging it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede looked shocked, as if he couldn’t believe that worked. Before he could recover, Kiyuki called for a second Hyper Voice to finish off his Solosis. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In its place, he sent in Gothita. It tried to Psybeam Nimbus, but the narrow attack range was easy for her to just fly up and avoid it. Kiyuki called out for a Sing, and the move connected while Gothita was finishing its attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now it was asleep, Kiyuki called for attack after attack. Hitting it first with a Peck, then a Disarming Voice, then finally finishing it off with a Hyper Voice. The last attack sent it flying backwards, knocking it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She continued with the same strategy, and Nimbus knocked out his Hatenna the same way with another Hyper Voice. Now Nimbus had knocked out 3 of Bede’s Pokémon, while only taking a scratch of damage herself from where Hatenna’s Psybeam had grazed her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excellent! Not everyone can corner my team like this!” Kiyuki thought she saw the smallest ghost of a smile from him. <em>Is he actually enjoying himself? </em>She thought, before calling back at him, smirking, “we’re just getting started!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sent out a Ponyta, but it wasn’t the Fire-type horse Pokémon Kiyuki was familiar with. Its mane and tail were pink and blue and much fluffier, and it was honestly adorable. She almost felt bad for knocking it out. Almost. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Ponyta sent a Fairy Wind at Nimbus, which did connect, but didn’t do a considerable amount of damage. <em>Good thing Nimbus isn’t a Dragon-type quite yet, </em>she thought, retaliating with a Disarming Voice. Kiyuki noticed that Nimbus had gotten considerably stronger from this battle, and the attack took away over half of Ponyta’s health. Another Disarming Voice, and Ponyta was down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus did a little flip in the air before settling herself down on Kiyuki’s head. “You showed at least a little effort, so I decided I should let you win!” She heard Bede grumble as she stepped closer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” Kiyuki retorted. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede fixed his hair again, and continued talking like she hadn’t even said anything. “Ah, pardon me. It seems I must take back my words. You’re not weak—you just lack talent. Your chances of completing the Gym Challenge are pretty slim, I must say.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, with that logic, I’ll never get the chance to battle you in an official setting when I defeat all the Gyms and am competing in the Finals. And sure, maybe I lack talent, but what I don’t have, I make up for in skill. So what’s your excuse?” Kiyuki returned his jab at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at her for a moment, opening then closing his mouth. He reached into his pocket and handed her one of his League Cards, before sauntering off while muttering to himself again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed quietly to herself. <em>Thought so. Too bad really, we probably could’ve ended up being really good friends if he wasn’t so full of himself. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She continued on deeper into the mine, healing Nimbus with a Potion. But she certainly wasn’t expecting something to close around her foot. Kiyuki jumped, letting out an undignified yell that she really hoped nobody heard. She kicked the offending thing off her foot, surprised when she realized it was a Pokémon that looked vaguely like a Stunfisk. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her Pokédex confirmed that it looked like a Stunfisk, because it was a Stunfisk. But this one was Ground/Steel type instead of the Ground/Electric type ones she knew. She glared at it for a moment. “So not cool,” she told it, but it just snapped at her and tried to attack her foot again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki danced out of the way and sent out her Drednaw, who quickly dispatched the rampaging Stunfisk with a Razor Shell. That one having been defeated, Kiyuki glanced around, noticing all around her what looked like Pokéballs buried in the ground, but were actually Stunfisk. <em>Clever. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her amusement at the antics of the Stunfisk didn’t last long however, as her good mood was once again interrupted by none other than Team Yell a few steps ahead. <em>This mine is full of people I don’t want to see. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first Grunt spoke up when she approached, “‘scuse me, mate, sorry to bother you. You one of them takin’ part in the Gym Challenge, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “What, you don’t remember the last time I handed your butts to you in a battle? Or was that another one of you, you all look the same.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunts looked stunned and lost for words for a moment, before the second one spoke up. “I’d love a battle against a great Trainer like you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before Kiyuki could properly challenge him to a battle, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Hop came up beside her. “Well, look at you, Kiyuki! Surrounded by adoring fans, eh? You’ll even be showing up Lee pretty soon!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “My fans? Funny, I was just about to beat these two and send them scurrying off to… uh… wherever they came from. Care to join me?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first Grunt chimed in, “oi, jog on, mate! Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a conversation here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop laughed, “yeah? And can’t you see that I’m Hop, the Trainer who’ll be your next Champion?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oooh, so we’ve got a joker here, eh? You’re so funny, I forgot to laugh.” The second Grunt added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Together?” Kiyuki whispered to Hop, and he nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunts sent out a Thievul and a Galarian Linoone. Hop sent out his Wooloo, and Kiyuki sent out Nimbus. She had a feeling they would be using Dark-type Pokémon, so Disarming Voice would be super effective. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The opposing Thievul used Quick Attack on Hop’s Wooloo, but Wooloo’s wool prevented it from taking too much damage. The Linoone also used Baby-Doll Eyes on Nimbus, lowering her attack, but Kiyuki paid it no mind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus’ Disarming Voice came out, doing sizeable damage to both the Grunt’s Pokémon, but not knocking either one out. Hop’s Wooloo finished off the Linoone with Double Kick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In its place, the Grunt sent out a Pancham. The Thievul used Snarl on them both, but Nimbus managed to avoid it and shot off another Disarming Voice. The attack knocked out the Thievul, but the Pancham survived. It was faster than Hop’s Wooloo too, and landed a supereffective hit that knocked it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunt sent in a Liepard, while Hop sent in his Corvisquire. The Liepard was much faster than both of them, and hit Nimbus with a Sand Attack. <em>Crap. That’s annoying, </em>Kiyuki thought. “Hyper Voice!” She called. Nimbus’ attack hit the Liepard dead on and knocked it out, but missed the Pancham from the accuracy drop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But missing the Pancham turned out to be no problem, as Hop’s Corvisquire was able to knock it out with a Pluck. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At this point, the Grunts recognized that Hop was Leon’s little brother and ran off before they found themselves in further trouble. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nice one, Kiyuki! That’s my rival for you! Now let’s go find Kabu!” Hop grinned at her, and the pair continued through the mine. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They found Kabu moments later, talking to the same Team Yell Grunts Kiyuki and Hop had just defeated. <em>Did they seriously just challenge a Gym Leader to a battle? Morons, </em>she thought bemusedly to herself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was surprised to hear Kabu thanking Team Yell for helping with his training, but in the same sentence chiding them for getting in the way of a Carkol, which Kiyuki presumed was the Pokémon next to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We weren’t gettin’ in its way! We were tryin’ to cheer it on!” The first Grunt tried to defend himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Still, you did a number on us in that Pokémon battle, so it’s time to team Yell to scarper and give a morale boost elsewhere!” The second Grunt said, and the pair instantly turned around, running off. Kabu said something to himself, as they ran off, but Kiyuki couldn’t make it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s Kabu… Man, he’s wicked! No wonder he’s the Fire-type Gym Leader!” Hop excitedly whispered to her as they stepped closer, and Kabu turned around, smiling at them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah, you are the Trainers endorsed by Leon! Hop and Kiyuki, am I right?” They nodded, and Kabu continued, “I’m just training right up until the last moment so that I can guarantee the perfect match when I face you Gym Challengers!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s eyes widened when she heard his accent, it sounded nothing like Hop or Leon or any of the other Trainers born here in Galar. Instead, it sounded remarkably like the way of speech used in the northern parts of Hoenn. <em>Is… is he from Hoenn? Can’t be. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu placed a hand on his chest, continuing to talk. “I specialize in Fire-type Pokémon, and the Water-type Pokémon here are the perfect opponents to train against! Regardless, it’s getting late. Just go straight once you get out of this mine, and you’ll reach Motostoke. Get a good rest at the hotel, and make sure you’re both in your top condition! I hope to see you both tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned, speaking to the Carkol for a moment, before turning and jogging out of the mine. The Carkol briefly glowed and rolled after him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop,” Kiyuki said once Kabu had left, “is he from Hoenn, by chance?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not sure, why do you ask?” Hop questioned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The way he talks, it doesn’t sound like you or anyone else born in Galar. It sounds more like…” Kiyuki trailed off.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop finished her sentence for her. “Like you. Now that you mention it, his accent does sound a lot like yours. I remember Lee talking about Kabu, but he didn’t say anything like that. But he did say that a lot of Gym Challengers give up because they just can’t beat Kabu.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Nessa told me that too. This one isn’t going to be easy, but I know we can do it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned at her, “man, now I’m getting all fired up, too! Let’s go!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, chasing after Hop out of the mine and back towards Motostoke. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Flicker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki spent the next few hours into the night training on the Route, levelling up Nimbus, Cornelius, Drednaw, and Shellos in preparation for the Gym. It was close to midnight when finally dragged herself into the Budew Drop Inn, surprised to see Hop and Marnie in front of the statue of the hero. A couple of Team Yell Grunts stood off to the side, but they were just conversing amongst themselves.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! I thought you had fallen asleep out there!” Hop grinned, turning to face her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Out givin’ it your all, even this late, huh?” Marnie added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Just doing some late night training, that’s all. How are you doing, Marnie? Haven’t seen you in a while.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie smiled just the tiniest bit, “I’m doin’ well. Been thinkin’ about challengin’ Kabu tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So was I,” Kiyuki replied. “What are you two doing?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just talkin’ mostly,” Marnie said. “We had a battle, t’see if I’m ready for the next leg of the Gym Challenge.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Who won?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Marnie. But I almost had her!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You battled great, Hop. I’ll need to train more if I wanna stay ahead of you,” Marnie glanced back at him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Hey, Marnie? Why don’t you battle Kiyuki?” Hop told her. “She is my rival, after all! Well, if she’s up for a battle this late at night, that is,” he finished, glancing back up at Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course! I may be a little tired, but I’m always up for a battle!” Kiyuki smiled. She stepped back, and Hop moved off to the side. The Team Yell Grunts moved behind Marnie, pulling out their posters and horns. Marnie sent out a Croagunk, and Kiyuki brought out Cornelius.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for a Hone Claws to start, and Cornelius raised his attack. “I’ll feel awful if I lose…But there’s no way I’m gonna! Poison Sting!” Marnie called, extending her hand out. Croagunk shot a needle-sharp stinger at Cornelius, dripping with purple poison. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius flapped his wings, lifting himself above the attack. But it still glanced off of him, but he fortunately didn’t get poisoned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pluck!” Kiyuki called, and Cornelius swooped in for the attack. Croagunk tried to Sucker Punch him, but Cornelius nimbly spun out of the way to the side, and landed the attack. After the attack boost, it was enough to knock out Croagunk. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After that, Marnie sent out Morpeko in its place. Kiyuki had looked it up after their first encounter, so she knew what to expect. But she certainly didn’t like it, realizing that her current team that she had been training with was very vulnerable to Electric-type attacks. Cornelius also only knew a Flying-type and a Dark-type attack, so he had nothing that would do very much damage against the Morpeko. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki recalled him, sending out her Tsareena in his place, who had evolved while she was training. “Hmm, I think this move expresses my feelin’s. What do you think?” Marnie said, as her Morpeko launched itself at Tsareena with a Bite. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a solid hit, and Tsareena flinched with an annoyed shriek. The Morpeko was faster than she was, but Kiyuki just had to avoid getting flinched. “Stand your ground and Trop Kick!” Kiyuki called. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time, when Morpeko came flying at her with another Bite, Tsareena spun around and kicked it. It wasn’t a super effective hit by any means, but Morpeko wasn’t the bulkiest of Pokémon, and the attack sent it flying backwards. It skidded across the floor of the hotel lobby and came to a stop in front of Marnie.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It tried to Thunder Shock Tsareena, but the resisted hit meant that she was quickly able to retaliate and finish off the Morpeko with a Razor Leaf. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’d be no fun if things ended just yet. That’s why we aren’t givin’ up!” Marnie called, recalling her Morpeko and sending out a Scraggy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Neither are we!” Kiyuki grinned at her, “Tsareena, return. Let’s finish this, Nimbus!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Swablu appeared with a bright flash, hovering lightly in the air as she faced off against the Scraggy. Kiyuki could clearly tell she was tired from their training, so she called for a Disarming Voice, hoping to finish this quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Scraggy wasn’t able to withstand the hit, and the battle was over. Marnie seemed surprised, and the Team Yell Grunts that were cheering her on were bent over in defeat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie gave Kiyuki the smallest smile. “Thanks, Kiyuki. Guess I’d better get to bed and rest up for tomorrow. You’d better get to sleep, too. You too, Hop.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right! That battle was wicked!” Hop cheered. He smiled at Marnie, who returned it. “See you tomorrow, Kiyuki!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki said goodnight to Hop and Marnie, who stepped into the elevator while Kiyuki headed to the front desk to check into a room. She could barely stay awake through the check-in, and was dragging her feet down the hall to her room soon after. She didn’t realize just how tired she was until after the battle with Marnie, and barely got her pyjamas on before she collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki found Marnie waiting for her in the lobby the next morning, still accompanied by her Morpeko. “Mornin’, Kiyuki. Did you sleep well?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, but couldn’t help but yawn and take another sip of her tea. “Yeah, I’m just not a morning person,” she laughed. “Where’s Hop?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Already went off to challenge the next Gym,” Marnie replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “Of course he did. That’s nothing too surprising.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie smiled at her. “Bet you’ll have no trouble beatin’ that ‘man of fire’ Kabu chap, right? Why don’cha get over to the Motostoke Stadium and get that Gym Badge already?” She said, handing her one of Kabu’s League Cards and some Burn Heals.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You already challenged him?” Kiyuki asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie shook her head. “Not yet. I’ll be goin’ a little later. Good luck.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki said goodbye to her, and stepped outside the hotel into a small crowd of people. They called out and waved to her, wishing her luck in the battle against Kabu. <em>I can’t believe all these people know who I am, </em>she thought, smiling slightly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she headed to the Gym, she stopped, remembering that she wanted to get that book on Galarian Pokémon, and that there was a bookstore in the lower area of the city. She decided that it was worth the detour, so she stepped to the right, where the elevator was, instead of heading left into the Stadium. Kiyuki popped into the bookstore and crossed to the section with books on Pokémon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was hard to resist all the books, but she quickly found a book detailing all the Pokémon found only in the Galar region and bought it. Outside, she sat on a nearby bench and quickly flipped through it, intending to familiarize herself enough with the Fire-type Pokémon to get through the Gym. She could look at the rest later. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Sizzlipede, Centiskorch, Carkol, and Coalossal. That’s not too bad. Cornelius can take out a Centiskorch, and Drednaw can deal with a Coalossal. This should be fine. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tucking the book into her backpack, Kiyuki took the elevator back up and approached the entrance to the stadium, just as Hop was coming out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned at her. “Slow moving, aren’t you, Kiyuki? I’ve already gone and earned my Fire Badge! That man of fire Kabu is just what you’d expect. Nearly got burnt in my battle with him! Even with my strongest team, it was definitely touch-and-go, but I still won in the end!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great job!” She told him, “I’m right behind you! I just decided to sleep in a little more after being up later than usual.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, get a shift on, Kiyuki! I bet you could beat him too!” Hop told her, and Kiyuki waved goodbye at him, heading into the gym. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few minutes later, Kiyuki walked into the Fire-type Gym mission. <em>What did the official mean when he said this mission was a bit different than the others? </em>She wondered, stepping into an open room. There were 3 patches of grass around her, separated by pylons with a Gym Trainer in each one. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dan the referee explained the mission to her. A catching challenge. <em>That’s interesting, </em>she thought, and his whistle went off, signalling the beginning of the challenge. Arbiltrarilly choosing the grass patch to the right, she stepped into the grass, looking for any sort of Pokémon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first Pokémon she encountered was a Sizzlipede, and the Gym Trainer next to her sent out a Salandit, joining in on a battle. <em>Competing with these Gym Trainers to catch the Pokémon… huh…</em>But she had one Quick Ball with her, so she threw it at the Sizzlipede and caught it, earning herself two points. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki crossed the ring to the patch of grass behind the scoreboard. She didn’t even make it into the grass before the grass rustled and parted, revealing a Litwick. <em>A Litwick…that’s perfect for my team! </em>Kiyuki thought, now cursing herself for using her only Quick Ball on the Sizzlipede. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not so fast!” The Gym Trainer told her, sending out a Sizzlipede of her own. The Litwick was staring at her, so Kiyuki nodded her head towards the Gym Trainer’s Pokémon, wondering if the Litwick would understand her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To her surprise, the Litwick turned towards the Sizzlipede and narrowed its eyes at it. It let out a cry and several small flames broke off from the one on top of its head. The flames flew towards the Sizzlipede and formed a ring around it, and the Sizzlipede froze in place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>What was that?! Did it immobilize it on purpose? So I could hit it?! </em>The Litwick’s little maneuver surprised Kiyuki, having never seen anything like that. But she sent out Cornelius, commanding him to use Pluck on the Trainer’s Sizzlipede. Litwick’s flames returned back to it once the Sizzlipede fainted, then flew back out and trapped the Trainer’s Salandit that had just come out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick seemed to have more trouble holding on to the Salandit, as it wasn’t completely immobilized. It stayed long enough for Cornelius to land a Pluck on it, but it soon broke out and rushed at the Litwick with a Poison Fang. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick squeaked, trying to conjure up an attack to stop it, but it wasn’t fast enough. “Cornelius, stop it!” She yelled, desperate to stop the Litwick from getting hit. Cornelius didn’t manage to land a second hit on the Salandit, but managed to take the hit instead of the Litwick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It knocked Cornelius out of the air, and Kiyuki winced when he squawked, having gotten badly poisoned. But before Cornelius could get back up and attack, a Hex slammed into the Salandit and knocked it out. Kiyuki glanced around, wondering where the attack had come from before she realized it had come from the Litwick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s a neat little trick with the flames,” she told it, crouching down in front of it now that the Gym Trainer was no longer interfering. “I could use you on the team, want to come with?” She asked, pulling out a Premier Ball from her bag and holding it out to the Litwick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick squeaked and actually smiled at her, to Kiyuki’s surprise, so she tossed the ball at it. Even though it was at full health, it didn’t break out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She decided to keep it with her, sending her Eldegoss to a box. She let the Litwick back out onto the palm of her hand, and examined it. It was a male, with Flash Fire too. “Welcome to the team, Litwick. No… I can’t call you that…” Kiyuki thought for a second, toying with some names in her head. “Um… how about Flicker?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick smiled at her again, giving a happy squeak, which Kiyuki found adorable. “Flicker it is. Now let’s finish this Gym mission!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Catching Flicker had netted her another two points, and she only needed 5 to pass the Gym mission. Crossing the ring again to the left patch of grass, she used an Antidote and a Potion on Cornelius to heal the damage he had taken from the Salandit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She soon ran into a Vulpix, and repeated the same drill she had done for the other two, knocking out the Trainer’s Rolycoly and Growlithe, then catching the Vulpix in a Great Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now having 6 points, Dan declared the Gym mission as cleared. The Gym Trainers all congratulated her and she headed through the door at the back, ready to face Kabu. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Flicker's flame trapping is inspired mostly by Chandelure's Hex move in Pokken Tournament, plus Chandelure is one of my absolute favourite Pokémon. So I had to have it in this fic. </p><p>P.S. Anyone else playing in the Splatoon 2 Splatfest right now? Team Ketchup for the win!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Kabu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki walked down the dark tunnel towards the stadium like she did with the last two Gyms. She paused for a moment before stepping out, fixing her hair, and jumped when she heard footsteps come up behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To her surprise, it was Kabu. He glanced briefly in her direction, but his gaze stayed mostly ahead, He started jogging out onto the pitch, and Kiyuki followed behind him at her normal walking pace, wondering why he didn’t come out the other side like before. He reached the centre of the pitch before she did, turning to face her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu placed his hands behind his back. “Welcome! I am Kabu, the Fire-type Gym Leader. The fact that you are here means you’ve bested both Milo’s Grass-type Pokémon and Nessa’s Water-types, too. That’s quite an accomplishment! Every Trainer and Pokémon trains hard in pursuit of victory. But that means your opponent is also working hard to win. In the end, the match is decided by which side is able to unleash their true potential.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With that, he turned around and walked out to the battling distance, and Kiyuki did the same as the noise of the crowd picked up. Kiyuki noticed that the stands were a lot fuller here then they were in Turffield or Hulbury, a sign that a lot of Gym Challengers didn’t make it past here. <em>This really is the first roadblock for a Gym Challenger, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>but it’s not going to stop me. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu led with a Ninetales, while Kiyuki sent in Nimbus.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hyper Voice!” She called, deciding to test out Kabu’s defences. The Ninetales was much faster than Kiyuki anticipated, shooting a Will-O-Wisp at Nimbus. The moves passed right through each other and found their respective targets. Now Nimbus was burned, and the Ninetales hadn’t taken nearly as much damage as Kiyuki would have liked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s ok! That burn won’t affect your special attacks, just try to ignore it and use Sing!” Kiyuki called to Nimbus, but the Ninetales was still faster and hit Nimbus with a Fire Spin, trapping her in a fiery cyclone. Nimbus squawked and reeled from the attack, and her Sing missed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now she was taking a lot of damage from the burn and the Fire Spin, and was trapped. Kiyuki ran through Nimbus’ moves in her head. Peck would be no good because of the burn, Disarming Voice was resisted, and Sing’s accuracy was too low. The only option was to Hyper Voice and hope for a critical hit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So that’s what Kiyuki went for again. The Ninetales shot an Ember at Nimbus, but Kiyuki shouted a warning, and Nimbus managed to avoid it. She hit the Ninetales with the Hyper Voice, but it wasn’t the critical hit Kiyuki desperately needed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could attack again however, the Ninetales dashed forward and slammed into Nimbus with a Quick Attack. “Nimbus!” Kiyuki yelled, but after the damage from the burn and Fire Spin, Nimbus was knocked out and unable to battle anymore. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Nimbus… </em>Kiyuki’s confidence wavered as she recalled the defeated Swablu. <em>Now what… How do I win this without her? </em>Her hand initially went to Cornelius’s ball, but she wanted to save him at full health in case her hunch was right and Kabu would be Dynamaxing a Centiskorch, and not a Coalossal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She went for Shellos’ Pokéball next for the obvious type advantage, but Kiyuki stopped when she realized that Kabu had indadvertedly revealed all the moves his Ninetales knew. And there was a critical weakness there Kiyuki could exploit. <em>Will-O-Wisp, Fire Spin, Ember, and Quick Attack…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She changed her plan and grabbed the recently filled Premier Ball at her belt, sending out Flicker. She just hoped he would be once again be able to do to the flame trapping move he had used during the Gym mission. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I see you found yourself a new ally during the Gym mission,” Kabu called to her. “Bold of you to send him out now, but a resisted hit isn’t going to save you. Fire Spin again, Ninetales.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The move connected with Flicker, but instead of doing damage and trapping him, Flicker absorbed the hit, glowing brighter in response. Kiyuki called back to Kabu across the field, “Flash Fire. A resisted hit won’t save me, true. But you’ve revealed everything your Ninetales knows! Use Confuse Ray!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker shot a beam of swirling lights at Ninetales, and it snarled as it became confused. “Now trap it! Do what you did during the Gym mission!” Kiyuki extended her hand towards the confused Ninetales, praying to Arceus that this crazy plan would work. It was a risky, placing her survival in the Gym battle based on something that very well may have been a fluke. But she smiled as she saw the smaller flames once again break off from Flicker as they did before.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The noise of the crowd died down to a confused murmur as the flames snaked towards Ninetales, encircling it. The Ninetales was still trying to recover from its confusion, and couldn’t seem to hear the commands that Kabu was trying to tell it. But when Ninetales froze in place, the crowd erupted in shouts, and Kiyuki matched them, yelling “Hold onto it and use Hex!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker’s tiny arms were shaking as he tried to hold onto the Ninetales, but managed to shoot off a Hex. The attack connected just as Flicker lost his hold on the Ninetales, and after the damage it had taken from Nimbus, the Hex was enough to knock it out. <em>Yes! </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>this isn’t over yet, Kabu!</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu looked surprised as he recalled his defeated Ninetales. “Well, that is something I haven’t seen in a long time. I will tell you more after, but for now, there is still a battle to win. Go, Arcanine!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeing that Flicker was clearly exhausted after that, she recalled him, sending out her Drednaw in his place. He snapped at Arcanine, but still had his attack lowered from the intimidate. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Arcanine led off with a Will-O-Wisp, which Kiyuki expected, suddenly very glad Drednaw still knew Water Gun. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Put out the fire, Drednaw! Water Gun, then slow that Arcanine down with a Rock Tomb!” Drednaw snapped his jaws, before shooting a Water Gun at the incoming Will-O-Wisp, extinguishing it completely. He followed up with a Rock Tomb, which slammed into the Arcanine. It didn’t knock out, but it was enough to slow it down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not for long though, as Kabu called for an Agility, which made Arcanine fast enough to dodge the Razor Shell coming out from Drednaw. The two Pokémon circled around each other for a second before Arcanine sent another Will-O-Wisp. Kiyuki commanded Drednaw to Water Gun the attack again, but while he was distracted putting out fires, Arcanine dashed in and landed a Bite on Drednaw. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki realized immediately what Kabu was trying to do. <em>He’s trying to distract Drednaw with a Will-O-Wisp so he can land a hit. Smart, but I can work around that. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For her plan to work, she let Kabu get away with the maneuver once more. But when he tried it the third time, Kiyuki was ready. “Ready a Water Gun and stand your ground, Drednaw. Wait for my signal.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The attack formed around Drednaw’s jaws, but it stayed there as the Will-O-Wisp inched closer. <em>Wait for it…</em> When the Will-O-Wisp was inches away, Kiyuki saw Arcanine dash in from the right expecting her to shoot the Water Gun at the Will-O-Wisp. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Drednaw! Stop the Water Gun and Razor Shell to your right!” She yelled, and the building Water Gun disappeared from Drednaw as his Razor Shell came out instead, slamming into the Arcanine and sending it skidding away with a bark. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unfortunately, the Will-O-Wisp connected, but Arcanine had been knocked out. The crowd cheered as Kabu recalled his Arcanine, readying his final Pokémon. “Light that fire and get your mind moving, Kabu! There still must be a path to victory!” He said, but Kiyuki realized he was talking to himself and not to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her hunch turned out to be right, and he sent out a Centiskorch. <em>Perfect, </em>Kiyuki thought, recalling her burned Drednaw and sending out Cornelius, who was at full health and ready to go. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Burn bright, Centiskorch. Let Gigantamax change your size and your form!” Kabu yelled. <em>Gigantamax?! </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>oh no. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Centiskorch grew in size, but it looked completely different now. Its belly glowed like radiator coils and it became much longer, roaring at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki snapped herself out of her shock and Dynamaxed Cornelius in response, knowing that Max Airstream would be super effective against it. Cornelius sent the swirling pillar of wind at the Centiskorch, causing it to roar and glow brighter from within. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Flames always burn upwards, and so we’ll always aim to go higher. You understand, don’t you?” Kabu yelled, extending his hand up into the air. “G-Max Centiferno!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Centiskorch responded with a massive burst of fire. It engulfed Cornelius, then dissipated into the ground, leaving spiral patterns in its wake. But the fiery tornado of another Fire Spin rose up again and battered Cornelius, causing him to take even more damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he was hanging in there enough to finish off the Centiskorch with another Max Airstream. The crowd erupted in cheers again as Centiskorch shrunk back down in a cloud of fire. Kiyuki sighed in relief as Cornelius returned back to his normal size, and she returned him to his ball. <em>That was not an easy battle, </em>she thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She met Kabu back in the middle of the pitch. “I’m often regarded as the first real roadblock of the Gym Challenge,” he said. “And yet you defeated me! Clearly, your talent surpassed my many years of experience. I still have much to learn!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled at her, “I know now that you and your Pokémon will become a fantastic team. I’m glad I could battle you today! Let me give you a Fire Badge as proof that you’ve defeated me!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They shook hands, and Kiyuki snapped the Fire Badge into her badge ring, staring at the flame pattern for a moment. “Come with me for a moment. I need to tell you something about that Litwick of yours.” Kabu told her, and she followed him to the tunnel leading out of the stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They stopped outside the locker room, and Kiyuki found herself getting a little nervous now. “Umm… I didn’t do anything illegal during the battle, did I?” She asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu shook his head, “no, don’t worry. It’s allowed. I was just surprised to see your Litwick use that trapping move you did. You see, that is an extremely rare skill that only an exceptional few members of the Litwick evolutionary line can do. In fact, the only other one I’ve seen able to do it is the Chandelure owned by Allister.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Allister? Who’s that?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Another Gym Leader. He only runs the Stow-on-Side Gym every second year, alternating with his sister, Bea. She’s running the Gym this year. My point is, make sure you hone that skill, as that Litwick of yours is extremely special.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu turned to go down the hall, but stopped a moment later and turned back. “Ah, almost forgot to ask you. You are from Hoenn, are you not?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, “how did you know?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled, “your voice and your name.And I can always recognize someone from my home region.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh!” Kiyuki grinned, “I thought you might be! But I didn’t want to assume.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, you are correct,” Kabu continued, “I left and came here long ago, well before you were born. Where in Hoenn are you from? The Eastern regions, perhaps?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sootopolis.” She replied simply.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu nodded, “a very nice city indeed. You should probably get going, I believe your friend is waiting for you in the lobby. Just take good care of that Litwick, and train it well.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thanked Kabu again as he walked off, heading into the locker room herself to get ready to face the next part of her Challenge. <em>Hoenn… </em>she thought, <em>I will get back there, when I’m strong enough. </em></span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love the headcanon that Allister and Bea are siblings, so I'm going with that. Not my headcanon, so credits to whoever had that idea first. I'm also going with the idea that they're sort of joint Gym Leaders and alternate who runs the Gym, same with Circhester. But don't worry, Allister will show up later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Seek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki!” Hop waved at her as she stepped back out into the lobby of Motostoke Stadium, standing next to Marnie. “That was wicked, mate! I figured that anyone could do it, it would be you… but still! I’m so excited, and I wasn’t even the one battling! That battle had me on the edge of my seat!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before Kiyuki could reply, she heard someone call her name behind her. She turned around to see Dan the referee coming towards her, “I see you’ve done a fine job collecting the Gym Badges from the Grass, Water, and Fire Gyms. Please take these.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He handed her a TM for Will-o-Wisp and a Fire-type Gym uniform, before continuing. “I think you’ve proven your skill well enough to try your hand against the Gyms that await you, starting in the city of Hammerlocke.” He told her how to get to the city through the Wild Area, then returned back inside the Gym. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Hop! It was a tough one compared to the last two, for sure!” Kiyuki replied, smiling at him. “You’re challenging the Gym now, Marnie?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, “after lunch, I think.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We can wait for you, if you want?” Hop said, but Marnie shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s nice of you, but don’t worry yourself. I’ll meet’cha in Hammerlocke,” she replied, and Morpeko made a noise in agreement. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki said goodbye to Marnie, then followed Hop out of the stadium and down to the entrance of Motostoke, back towards the Wild Area. “Hurry it up, Kiyuki!” He called over his shoulder, before suddenly slowing to a stop. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki turned back to see Kabu jogging after them. “You’re the Gym Leader, but you still came all the way to see us off? Oh, I bet you can already tell that I’m the one who’ll become the next Champion, yeah?” Hop said, grinning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kabu smiled at them, folding his arms behind his back again. “There are many Trainers who never manage to gather three Gym Badges, and they just give up on the Gym Challenge altogether. So I make a point to see off any Trainers who are able to defeat me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Suddenly, Milo and Nessa came running up, panting and slightly red in the face. “Whew, we made it. Thank goodness for Flying Taxis! Kiyuki, Hop, congratulations! It’s pretty amazing you two defeated Kabu!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not a lot of Gym Challengers are able to get a Gym Badge from Kabu.” Milo confirmed, “we like to get together to see them off, as a way of showing our support.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The Gym Leaders you will face ahead are all tough opponents. But I believe that you will prevail! Believe in your Pokémon and keep pushing on!” Kabu told them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was almost speechless, touched that the three Gym Leaders would go out of their way to send them off. She stammered out a thank you. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, you all!” Hop grinned, “we’re gonna keep winning! We’ve got to if we want a face-off in the Champion Cup, after all! Come on, Kiyuki! Let’s head for Hammerlocke!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Waving goodbye at the three Gym Leaders, Kiyuki chased Hop back out to the Wild Area. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello again, Wild Area, my old friend! I’ve come back to you even stronger than before!” He cheered, yelling to the open air. Kiyuki smiled, it was nice to be back in the Wild Area, and she was anxious to explore the new area she hadn’t been in yet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pointed out the direction of Hammerlocke and started talking about going to catch some stronger Pokémon, but a curt voice cut into their conversation. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t waste your efforts. It’s not like either of you would ever make it through the Gym Challenge, anyway.” Kiyuki swore under her breath upon seeing Bede striding up to them, “the Champion really must have been off his rocker to endorse the likes of you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned and regarded Hop, staring down at him with a condescending look. “I mean, it seems Hop here can’t even throw a Pokéball properly.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rubbish. More like you don’t know enough to recognize greatness when you see it. My throws are the greatest, and my bro is the finest Champion the world has ever seen! I’m not gonna listen to you insulting him!” Hop bit back, crossing his arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki wasn’t about to let Hop get hurt. Bede clearly knew exactly what to do to get him riled up, so Kiyuki put herself between the two. “Leave him alone, Bede. Battle me if need to take to take your attitude out on someone. You can’t beat me anyways,” she growled at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t interfere. I know how you battle. I know your weaknesses. I could easily beat you if I wanted to.” He smirked at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then do it!” She yelled, clenching her hands into fists. “If you’re so certain you can beat me, then do it! But I know you won’t, because you know, despite how cocky you try to be, that you can’t!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Enough,” Bede snarled at her. “I already know enough about you. I want to see how weak he is now.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before Kiyuki could spit another retort at him, she felt Hop grab her arm. “It’s fine, Kiyuki. I’ll show this wally my real skills in battle! I’ll meet you at Hammerlocke when I’m through with him,” he said, smiling slightly.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki let her hands unclench, sighing and nodding at Hop. He let go of her arm, but Kiyuki grabbed his shoulder before he could go. “He uses Psychic-type Pokémon. Don’t let him get in your head. Good luck,” she whispered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ran off to battle Bede, while Kiyuki headed down the hill towards the bridge leading to next segment of the Wild Area, that would ultimately take her to Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, Flicker. Let’s practice that flame trapping skill of yours.” Kiyuki said, kneeling down on the dirt. Night had fallen, and Kiyuki had already set up her camp and made her team some curry. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t entirely know where she was, because a heavy fog had set in and obscured the surrounding scenery and any landmarks around. She had to rely on the map on her phone, which told her she was in a segment of the Wild Area called the Giant’s Mirror. According to the map, she didn’t have much further to go until she reached Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her current team, composed of Drednaw, Shellos, Tsareena, Nimbus, and Cornelius were chasing the ball Kiyuki had put out for them while she trained Flicker. Although, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s start slow. I want to find out if you can trap objects in midair, because we could really use that to our advantage in battle. So I’m going toss this Oran berry at you, and you try to trap it before it hits the ground, all right?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker made a sound in response, and the small flames split off from the one on top of his head. He held out his arms, ready, so Kiyuki tossed the berry high in the air. Flicker sent the flames up at the falling berry, encircling it and stopping its fall completely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes! Great job, Flicker!” Kiyuki praised, holding out her hand underneath the hovering berry. Flicker released the flames, and the berry fell into her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They practiced that a few more times, then Kiyuki started throwing it lower, giving Flicker less time to catch it. On one throw however, something dark flew out of the fog and intercepted the berry, laughing as it disappeared. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey!” Kiyuki yelled after the retreating shape, but it kept going. She scooped up Flicker and told the rest of her team to watch the camp, before chasing after the berry thief into the fog. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The fog was thick, but Flicker sent out a stream of purple flames, which briefly caused the fog to part. It was enough to see where she going, and that she still on the trail of the berry thief. She caught a glimpse of a shape that looked vaguely like a Pikachu at the base of a stone. <em>It certainly didn’t sound like a Pikachu. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Slowing her steps so the thief wouldn’t hear her coming, she crept closer, listening to it eating the Oran berry. Once she felt she was close enough, she gestured to Flicker and he sent out his trail of flames once again. The berry thief let out a squeak as it was trapped by Flicker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gotcha!” Kiyuki said as she closed the distance to where the berry thief was trapped. It wasn’t a Pikachu like she thought it might be, but a Mimikyu. It struggled to break free from Flicker’s flames, and she could see he was having a hard time holding onto it. “Flicker, let it go,” she told the LItwick in her hand, and the flames disappeared. The Mimikyu, surprisingly, didn’t run away. Instead, it turned to look at Kiyuki, tilting its head at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, if you wanted a berry, you could’ve just asked. I have plenty.” The Mimikyu looked at her, so she pulled a Sitrus berry out of her bag and held it out. Two dark shapes topped with claws snaked out from underneath its disguise and gently took the berry from her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched it eat the berry, then it made a happy sound at her. It bounced a couple of times, then made another sound. It used its arms to cover the eyes drawn on its disguise, held them for a second, then turned and ran behind the stone, peeking out at Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker made a noise and jumped off Kiyuki’s hand, repeating the motion that the Mimikyu had just done. “Um… what are trying to tell me? Peek-a-boo?” The Mimikyu shook its head, then repeated the motion again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hide and seek?” Kiyuki guessed, and the Mimikyu bounced up a down a few more times, making a happy noise. <em>Huh… Lucky guess. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Playing hide and seek with a couple of Ghost-type Pokémon in the fog, in the middle of the night. I must be crazy,” Kiyuki laughed, but still covered her eyes and started counting. She opened her eyes when she reached 30, and Flicker and the Mimikyu were nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rising up from the ground, Kiyuki started walking, looking for the two Pokémon. She quickly found Flicker hiding in a nearby clump of grass, due to the fact that he couldn’t move very fast and was also glowing. She scooped him up and went to go find the Mimikyu, which proved to be a lot harder to find. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She eventually found it though, hiding in a berry tree near a pond. Although she probably wouldn’t have found it had it not jumped on her as she passed underneath, laughing. It stayed perched on her shoulder, then jumped down to the ground. “You’re just full of mischief, aren’t you? How about one more round, then I got to go get some sleep,” Kiyuki told it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Mimikyu bounced again, and Kiyuki covered her eyes and counted. Once again, she quickly found Flicker, but wandered all over the area looking for the Mimikyu. She eventually wandered back to her camp, only to see the ears of the Mimikyu’s disguise poking out from behind her tent. Her team was quickly falling asleep, having exhausted themselves playing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki crouched down and slowed her steps when she approached the tent, then jumped out to the side where the Mimikyu was hiding. It jumped too, before laughing and bouncing towards her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, that was a lot of fun, Mimikyu. But it’s getting pretty late now, and I need to get some sleep. My team does too.” She said, dropping her backpack on the ground. She noticed that Flicker had already fallen asleep in her hand, his flame extinguished. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Mimikyu made a sad noise and looked at her. “Sorry. Did you want another berry?” Kiyuki asked. But the Mimikyu didn’t answer, and moved over to her backpack, starting to rummage around inside. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Don’t take all the berries, now! Just a few…” She trailed off when the Mimikyu came back out, without a single berry. Instead, it had grabbed an empty Dusk Ball and dropped it in front of her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Well, I’d be happy to have to you want to come!” Kiyuki smiled, and the Mimikyu bounced again. She grabbed the Dusk Ball from the ground, and tossed it at the Mimikyu, catching it. Kiyuki let it back out, watching it as it bounced some more.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a female, and had an Impish nature, which explained a lot about her personality. “Welcome to the team. Hmm… What do I call you? Do you like Hallow?” She asked, and her new Mimikyu bounced happily. Kiyuki took that as a yes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hallow it is, then. Let’s get some sleep, so we can reach Hammerlocke tomorrow.” Hallow followed her to the space in front of the tent, where the rest of Kiyuki’s team was. All of them but Drednaw and Tsareena were fast asleep, and even they were fading fast. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Some guards you lot are,” Kiyuki said, scooping up her exhausted Shellos and placing him and Flicker in her tent. She came back out and picked up Nimbus and Cornelius, and Hallow, Drednaw, and Tsareena followed her into the tent. Everyone made themselves comfortable, and Kiyuki was out before her head even hit the pillow. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I meant to do a team recap before the battle against Kabu, but I completely forgot. So I'm doing one now that Kiyuki has a couple more permanent members of her team.</p><p>Nimbus (Swablu): Hyper Voice, Disarming Voice, Peck, Sing<br/>Cornelius (Corvisquire): Pluck, Taunt, Hone Claws, Power Trip<br/>Flicker (Litwick): Will-o-Wisp, Hex, Fire Spin, Confuse Ray<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Mimic, Shadow Sneak, Baby-Doll Eyes, Double Team</p><p>Other Pokémon: Drednaw and Tsareena</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Vault</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second chapter for you guys today! I'm very glad to see that you're enjoying my fic, so thank you to everyone who's left comments and kudos! I really appreciate it! Stay safe!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan leaned up against the wall of the Hammerlocke Stadium, watching Aria and Sebastian battle on the pitch. It was hailing at the moment, and the two Gym Trainers kept at it, neither letting up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pelliper, Air Slash the Abomasnow. Sliggoo, Dragon Pulse the Hakamo-o,” Sebastian commanded, as Aria called for an Icy Wind and a Dragon Claw. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Air Slash connected with Abomasnow, causing it to flinch. But Hakamo-o’s Dragon Claw managed to take advantage of Sliggoo’s lower defence, and knocked it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Pellipper’s second Air Slash went into the Hakamo-o, and Abomasnow’s Icy Wind slowed it down. Hakamo-o’s Dragon Claw finished it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan clapped, walking up to the two Trainers. “Great job, you two. Aria, you might want to consider going for the Aurora Veil sooner. In a real battle, you never know if your opponent has another way to set up the rain. You would want to take advantage of your Hail while you have it. And Sebastian, remember to keep speed control. You have Tailwind, so use it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two Trainers nodded, listening to his feedback. “Aria, why don’t you battle Camilla next? You’ll be at a type disadvantage, so you’ll need to use that Aurora Veil effectively.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sebastian moved off to the side, letting Camilla take his place on the pitch. However, before the battle could begin, Raihan’s phone rang. He answered it, and heard Stephanie on the other end. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah… sorry to bother you,” she said, “there’s someone here requesting access to the vault. Says she researching Galar’s legends. Can you come over here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No bother at all. I’ll be right over,” he replied, and hung up. “Sorry guys, I’ve gotta go the Vault. Let’s cut this short and keep training tomorrow, all right?” The Gym Trainers assured him it was no trouble. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He flicked the lights off in the Stadium once they left, and crossed through the lobby of the Gym back out to the main street. Gym Challengers were wandering into the city from the Wild Area all the time now, those that managed to defeat Kabu, anyways. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Out of the 62 Trainers that had started the Gym Challenge a little over a month ago, only 38 were left now. 3 hadn’t managed to get past Milo, another 6 were stopped by Nessa, and the other 15 quit when they couldn’t defeat Kabu. Usually, less than 10 Challengers managed to reach the last Gym, and even fewer made it through. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan made his way to the vault, waving at the people passing by on the street. Every time he did this walk from the Stadium, he always forgot just how far apart they were. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once he got there, he pulled the heavy metal doors open and stepped inside. He quickly glanced around, looking for whoever might want access to the vault, then grinned upon seeing a familiar figure with red hair tied up to the side, and a tan-brown coat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia was talking to a Trainer with a white fluffy hat, who was waving her arms around and sounded absolutely furious about something. She was clearly a Gym Challenger, judging by the yellow challenge band on her wrist. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia had her back turned to him, so Raihan came up behind her and playfully slung his arm around her shoulders. “Hey there, Sonia. Long time no see,” he said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia jumped, but recovered quickly enough and rolled her eyes at him. “Hello to you too, Raihan. Are you going to let us in now, Mr. Guardian of the Vault?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, straight to business already? Can’t a guy say hello to a friend he hasn’t seen in years?” Raihan teased, dropping his arm and smirking at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh? So we’re friends now? News to me,” she put her hands on her waist and smirked back at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ouch!” Raihan laughed, placing a hand on his chest like she actually wounded him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“By the way,” Sonia continued, smirking again, “you’ve met Kiyuki, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan glanced at the Gym Challenger with Sonia, realizing that it was, in fact, Kiyuki. She inexplicably turned about as red as a Tamato berry and averted her gaze, staying silent. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course we’ve met. Your Gym battles have been fantastic to watch!” He grinned at her, having to stifle a laugh when she turned even more red. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki buried her face in her hands and groaned. “You actually were watching those? I thought Nessa was messing with me,” she said, her voice muffled by her hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope, she wasn’t messing with you,” he laughed, “and neither am I when I say your battles are great! Especially that strategy with the sound blast your Swablu did against Milo! How did you know that her wings would block the sound?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had removed her hands from her face, and although she was still blushing, she was smiling a bit. “I didn’t. I just thought about an old expression we use in Hoenn. If someone isn’t listening to you, you usually ask them if they have cotton in their ears.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan laughed. “Cotton in your ears. That’s a good one, I might have to steal that one from you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Suddenly, the white fluff on top of Kiyuki’s head, which Raihan thought was a hat, started to move. Turns out, it was her Swablu, and she stretched her wings and yawned. She noticed him watching a moment later, and flew over to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah, Nimbus! Don’t bother him…” Kiyuki started, but trailed off when her Swablu, Nimbus, Raihan supposed her name was, settled itself on his outstretched hand and chirped happily up at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gently ran his fingers over the Swablu’s wings, before gently scratching behind the ribbon-like feathers on her head, where Raihan knew Altaria liked. “Don’t worry about it. She’s beautiful. I haven’t seen a Swablu in a long time, much less a Shiny one.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He noticed Kiyuki watching him, gently smiling. <em>That’s quite a different look from what she had at the opening ceremony. </em>He thought.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia cleared her throat next to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I’m glad you two are getting along, but we did come here to look at the vault.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Whoops, </em>he thought, realizing that he had gotten completely distracted by Kiyuki and nearly forgot Sonia was there. “Right you are. Let’s head up.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called Nimbus back to her, but instead of flying back to her, she flew up and landed on his head. Kiyuki turned red again, “I’m sorry! Nimbus, come down!” She called, waving her arms at the Swablu. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan laughed. “Don’t worry yourself, Kiyuki. She can stay there. Let’s go up, you lot. I think Sonia’s getting impatient.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He led them up the stairs and into the vault, standing off to the side and watching Kiyuki as the pair examined the tapestries detailing Galar’s most famous legend. Sonia recounted the story to Kiyuki, and although Raihan knew that legend like the back of his hand, it wasn’t too surprising that Kiyuki didn’t know it. She wasn’t born in Galar, after all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki offered her input, theorizing that the dark storm depicted in the second tapestry was the Darkest Day. Sonia nodded, and continued running different ideas by her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan could feel Nimbus shifting around on top of his head, and he laughed quietly to himself. “Hey, pick a spot and stay there.” He told the Swablu, who just chirped at him again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He heard Kiyuki speak up again, “Sonia,” she asked, “do you think the wolf Pokémon from the Slumbering Weald ties into this somehow?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia touched her chin, thinking. “I’m not sure. What makes you think that?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold up, what’s this about a wolf Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald?” Raihan chimed in. Sonia and Kiyuki turned to him, and Kiyuki described what she had encountered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm,” he said when she had finished, “I haven’t heard about a Pokémon like that in any legend, really. But, parts of legends do get lost with time. We try our best to preserve them in their original forms, but bits and pieces can get lost despite our efforts.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know two things for sure about that wolf Pokémon,” Kiyuki said, “one, it was incredibly powerful. And two, it was incredibly ancient. I got the sense that it has been there in the Slumbering Weald for a very long time.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tell you what,” Raihan said, “I’ll go poke around in the library at the university here, see if I can find anything about what you’ve described. You might want to come too, Sonia, might find some more about what you’re looking for.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia nodded, “good idea. You’re probably gonna head to Stow-on-Side now, right, Kiyuki?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think so, yes.” She said, checking her phone, “Hop’s probably already there, but he’s not answering me. Maybe I’ll run into Bede again, so I can beat the crap out of him for what he did to Hop.” Her eyes darkened at the last sentence, which surprised him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan raised an eyebrow at Sonia, who mouthed “long story.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You need to come down now, Nimbus. Let’s go get our next Gym Badge.” Kiyuki said, looking up at her Swablu, still perched on top of Raihan’s head. This time, Nimbus did actually listen to her and drifted down from his head and back to Kiyuki’s. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good luck on your Gym battle,” he smiled at her, “I look forward to watching it. Get through the rest of your Gym Challenge, so I can finally battle you myself, all right?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smirked at him. “Deal. But I’m going to beat you too, I’ll have you know.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh? Confident aren’t we?” Raihan replied, matching her smirk. “And take one of these too. My League Card.” He said, pulling one out of his pocket and handing it to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smiled. “Thanks! Bye, Sonia! And it was nice to meet you, Raihan!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She waved at them before disappearing out the door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s confident, that one. I like it,” Raihan laughed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"She’s certainly got the potential to be a fantastic Trainer. I can easily see why Leon endorsed her. Actually, she reminds me a bit of you, but less full of herself,” Sonia said, smiling.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wha… Hey! I’m not full of myself!” Raihan protested, but Sonia just smirked at him. “Ah, never mind. Let’s get a coffee before heading to the library. I want to catch up, and I want to know what’s going with this Bede that has Kiyuki so furious.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I told you, it’s a long story,” Sonia said, walking towards the door. “But because I really want a coffee, I’ll indulge you just this once.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“After you then,” Raihan grinned, pushing the door of the vault open and following her out. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Desert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki left the sprawling castle walls of Hammerlocke, feeling the sunlight intensify as she stepped onto Route 6. Hammerlocke was easily her favourite city she’s been to so far, and the beautiful castle-like streets and towering Stadium took her breath away when she first stepped in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chairman Rose had even given her a quick tour of the Power Plant, to her surprise. She thought he wouldn’t have appreciated her eavesdropping on his conversation with Bede, even though she wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping. She had heard Bede talking about looking for Wishing Stars before, and it wasn’t the first time that she wondered if he and the Chairman were up to something. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede had escaped too, before Kiyuki could make him pay for hurting Hop. And Hop… he wasn’t answering her texts. She guessed that he hadn’t lingered in Hammerlocke and had gone on straight to Stow-on-Side. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had run into Leon on her way to the Vault too, and he was equally worried about Hop when she told what had happened. He had promised to try and talk about it with him before he had to leave for a meeting with the chairman. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And then Raihan happened. Kiyuki’s first thought was that he was even better looking up close, and her second thought was that she couldn’t believe that he actually was watching her Gym battles. How embarrassing. She’ll never hear the end of that from Sonia. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>He’s actually really nice though, </em>Kiyuki thought, <em>I wouldn’t mind talking to him some more. </em>And the tapestries in the vault had been extremely interesting too. She was glad Sonia brought her along. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few paces away off the drawbridge of Hammerlocke and back on solid ground, were a couple of Team Yell Grunts. They stood a short ways away from a Pokémon that seemed to have fallen asleep in the middle of the path. A Silicobra, if Kiyuki remembered correctly from her book. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What a cute Silicobra,” the first Grunt said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just look at those adorable eyes,” the second Grunt added, and Kiyuki nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Glad we finally agree on something,” she agreed quietly, not wanting to wake up the sleeping Pokémon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s our duty as Team Yell to make sure Silicobra gets a nice, peaceful sleep!” The first Grunt said again, raising his voice slightly to make sure she got the point. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You? What, have you two heard yourselves?” Kiyuki raised an eyebrow at them, but keeping her voice down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Suddenly, an older lady came up behind Kiyuki. “Hello there. If I promise not to wake the Pokémon, will you let me through?” She asked the Grunts. To Kiyuki’s surprise, they let the lady pass. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t suppose you’ll let me through, would you?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No way! You Gym Challengers make way too much noise!” The second Grunt exclaimed, ironically much louder than Kiyuki was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, hey, Kiyuki,” she heard from behind her. Glancing round, she smiled at Hop walking up. “You’re heading to Stow-on-Side, right?” He asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, immediately noticing that he wasn’t his usual, happy self. He wasn’t smiling, and the fact that he wasn’t sprinting to Stow-on-Side said something. She once again cursed out Bede in her head for doing this to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I thought you were already there, Hop,” she said quietly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head, turning back to Team Yell. “Oi, Team Yell. Don’t suppose you’ll let us through?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nah, you kids are way too loud!” The first Grunt practically yelled, repeating what the second Grunt had just told Kiyuki. “Can’t be lettin’ you through. An’ we’re particularly not fond of kids wearin’ the Challenge Band!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“With all your stompin’ around, Silicobra is sure to wake up!” The second Grunt chimed in, ironically stomping around herself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had to stifle a laugh at the irony, and noticed the corner of Hop’s mouth quirk up ever so slightly. “Right…” He said, “what do you say, Kiyuki? If we don’t get past them, we won’t be able to continue our Gym Challenge at Stow-on-Side…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll battle them, quietly,” she said, pulling out Hallow’s Dusk Ball. “Help me out?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop hesitated, turning his gaze downwards. “Er… Um… I think you should do it… I’ll just get in your way.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before Kiyuki could respond, the second Grunt butted in. “You two are way too noisy. You don’t wanna wake up Silicobra, now do you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I swear, kids these days… Well, we’ve got no choice. We have to send you packin’, it’s all for the sake of Silicobra!” The first Grunt yelled at her, sending out a Stunky. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki sent out Hallow. “All right, Hallow. Let’s do this quietly, ok?” She whispered, pointing at the Silicobra, who was surprisingly still asleep. “Play Rough.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Mimikyu made a quiet noise as a confirmation, before jumping on the Stunky. She had run into a League staff in the Wild Area selling TRs, including Play Rough. He didn’t have anything else of note, but getting the Play Rough TR for Hallow was extremely useful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Stunky’s Poison-typing prevented from being knocked out, but its Bite didn’t do anything to Hallow. Her disguise broke, but she was still fine, and finished off the Stunky with a second Play Rough.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next Pokémon the Grunt sent out was the Dark-type Linoone, and even the Baby-Doll Eyes it went for didn’t save it from Hallow’s Play Rough, and it was knocked out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunt complained that her battle was too noisy, before the second Grunt came up. Kiyuki used a Potion on Hallow, letting her fix up her disguise while the Grunt sent out a Liepard. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How the Silicobra was still sleeping through all of Team Yell’s racket, Kiyuki had no idea. The Grunt also seemed to forget that Mimikyu was a Ghost-type, and tried to use Fake Out. The attack passed straight through Hallow, and she knocked it out with another Play Rough. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Silicobra might wake up after all that ruckus!” The second Grunt exclaimed, bringing her hands up to her head. And sure enough, the Silicobra did wake up, blinking its eyes a few times, showing flashes of a brilliant green. It looked up at Kiyuki, then turned and hissed at Team Yell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They fell silent as Silicobra glared at them. “I think Silicobra a little more mad about your racket than ours,” Kiyuki said, grinning.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Silicobra hissed again and shot a plume of sand at them. The Grunts yelled as they ran off down the Route, and the Silicobra kept shooting sand at them until they were out of range. It hissed after them one more time, before turning back to Kiyuki and Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh oh.” Hop said, stepping back. But the Silicobra didn’t glare at them like it had glared at Team Yell. Nor was it shooting sand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It slithered right up to Kiyuki, and she knelt down. “Hello, Silicobra. Sorry about waking you up, we tried to keep quiet.” She held out her hand for it to sniff, ready to pull back at a moment’s notice in case it tried to bite her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it didn’t. Instead, it gave a little hiss that sounded more happy than mad and coiled itself around Kiyuki’s arm, then up to her shoulder. It was certainly heavier than it looked, but it was still light enough to carry like that. Nimbus floated down from the top of Kiyuki’s head to examine the newcomer, chirping happily. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki…” Hop’s voice drew her gaze away from Nimbus and the Silicobra. He still wasn’t smiling, and was staring at the ground. “That was brilliant, mate. When did you catch a Mimikyu?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yesterday, in the Wild Area. You doing all right? You’ve been ignoring my texts all day.” Kiyuki asked. He still wasn’t meeting her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bede really wiped the floor with me the last time we battled. And don’t get me wrong—I can take a loss! Battling means you’ve got to lose sometimes. Well, for most of us anyways,” he said, keeping his gaze on his feet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop…” Kiyuki started, but Hop interrupted her, eyes flicking back up to hers. “Don’t say you know how it feels, Kiyuki. When was the last time you’ve lost a battle?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki opened her mouth to reply, then really thought about it. Thinking if she had. She realized that in all this time, since she’s moved to Galar and started her Gym Challenge, she hasn’t lost a single battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You haven’t,” Hop confirmed, looking down again. “You’ve completed every Gym on your first try, defeated Bede every time, and defeated me every time we’ve battled. I’m starting to wonder if Lee was right and I wasn’t ready for this.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. “You are ready. Leon wouldn’t have endorsed you if he thought you weren’t ready. He believes in you, and I do too. Who cares about what a jerk like Bede thinks?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop still wasn’t smiling, but he was actually looking at her now. “But he said that I was dragging Lee’s good name through the mud, being so rubbish like I was… and I just can’t get those words out of my head! If I’m weak, then people’ll think Lee’s weak, too… but I don’t want that! I can’t let Lee get dragged down! He’s the unbeatable Champion!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Minding the Silicobra still on her shoulder, Kiyuki pulled him into a hug. Hop stiffened for a moment, but eventually wrapped his arms around her and returned it. “You are not weak, Hop,” Kiyuki whispered. “You never were. You’re strong, and I know you’ll pull through this. Bede is a lying jerk, don’t let his words keep eating you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop pulled away, wiping his eyes. “Thank you, Kiyuki. I think I’m gonna have to take some time figuring this out. Alone.” He said.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you sure? You’re welcome to go through the Route with me.” Kiyuki asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop nodded, “I just need some time to think. I’ll meet you at Stow-on-Side. See you around, Kiyuki…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He started to leave, jogging off down the left side of the route. “Hop!” Kiyuki yelled after him, and he stopped and turned. “Drop Leon a text, all right? He’s worried about you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop didn’t say anything, just nodded before running off again. Kiyuki watched him until he disappeared, and moved to start along the route herself. But she stopped when she heard someone call her name behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie stepped off the drawbridge onto the dirt path, Morpeko at her side like always. “What’s goin’ on? Sounded like you were battlin’ someone.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just Team Yell again. Silicobra here was sleeping, and they woke it up trying to get us to quiet down. It sent them running off,” Kiyuki smiled as she recounted the story, realizing that Silicobra had now fallen back asleep from where it was coiled around Kiyuki’s shoulders. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They’re interferin’ with the other Challengers again? Sorry, Kiyuki,” Marnie scowled. “I’ll try to talk some sense into them again.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Its no problem. I can handle them,” Kiyuki smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“By the way, have ya seen Hop anywhere? He’s not answerin’ me…” Marnie asked, glancing at her phone in her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He went down to the left there. But he’s really down right now…” Kiyuki replied, pointing to the path where Hop had gone. She quickly recounted what had happened with Bede to Marnie, who scowled again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That jerk…” She hissed under her breath. “How could he?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m worried about Hop though,” Kiyuki sighed, glancing at the path he had gone to. “Having Bede’s lies rattling around in his head is the worst thing for him to do, but he didn’t really want to hear what I had to say…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I'm worried about him too. I’ll go talk to him,” Marnie said, “ya said he went to the left?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah. Thanks, Marnie,” Kiyuki replied, turning to start along the route. <em>Maybe he'll listen to her. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And Kiyuki?” Marnie added, causing Kiyuki to stop and turn back to her. “I swear I’ll beat Bede into the ground if I see him.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Make sure you let me know if you do, because I want to give him a piece of my mind as well,” Kiyuki growled, clenching her hands into fists again. But it occurred to her that she didn’t have a way to contact Marnie, so she quickly pulled out her phone so Marnie could input her number. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She left after that, disappearing down the same path as Hop did. Kiyuki went to the right, heading towards a ladder on the cliff. She really hoped Marnie would be able to get through to Hop, that she would have better luck than Kiyuki did. The thought kept crossing her mind as Kiyuki defeated the first Trainer and up the ladder, before she realized just how hot it was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And she liked the heat, but it was quite different than the heat from Hoenn. It was more tropical there, while this was just a dry, oppressive heat that pressed down on her from the late afternoon sun. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat down, her legs dangling off the edge of the cliff as she took a swig from her water bottle and wiped some of the sweat off her forehead. Her backpack was growing heavier all the time as she accumulated more items during her journey, and the Silicobra still napping on her shoulder certainly wasn’t helping. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At least, she thought it was napping. It gave a tiny hiss and slithered down her arm to her lap, looking at her as if to ask what the hold-up was. Kiyuki took another drink of water. “Sorry, I’m not used to this desert heat like you are. It’s more tropical where I come from. And you’re starting to get a little heavy.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned her head, taking in the view of the Route, and Hammerlocke a little ways back. She really hadn’t gotten very far, and she wanted to reach Stow-on-Side before night fell. “I like having you around though. You are adorable, and for once I agree with Team Yell on that. You could come along if you want, join me for the rest of my Gym battles and whatever else after that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Silicobra blinked at her for a moment, then gave another little hiss and actually nodded. Kiyuki grinned, “all right then! Let’s see here…” She said, digging through her backpack for a Pokéball. “Which one to put you in? How about this one? It kind of matches your colours…” She held up a Nest Ball, looking to the Silicobra for approval. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It nodded again, so Kiyuki tapped it with the Ball. It shook a few times, then clicked. She let it back out again, trying to think of a name. It was a female, and Kiyuki thought something like Sandy would work, but it certainly wasn’t very creative. “Hmm… Can I call you Hylla?” The Silicobra gave her approval. “Perfect,” Kiyuki said, grinning at her, “let’s get some training in on our way to Stow-on-Side, so we can challenge the Gym first thing tomorrow!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swapped Hylla into her party, sending Drednaw to her box. <em>Hmm… I only need one more member before my team is complete. Tsareena is good, but I think I definitely need another special attacker. And I definitely want a second Dragon-type. But I’ll worry about that later. Probably won’t be much for Dragons here.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Brushing the dust off her jeans, Kiyuki readjusted the straps on her backpack and continued along Route 6. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Spin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki spent the night in the hotel in Stow-on-Side. The day was still unbearably hot, and she had to leave her hoodie in her backpack. She was still wearing her usual navy-blue striped T-shirt, but the only shorts she had were the ones from her Gym uniform. Now she was seriously regretting not stopping at the Boutique in Hammerlocke when she was there. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Heading in the direction of the Gym after purchasing more Hyper Potions at the Pokémon Centre, Kiyuki soon ran into Hop at the base of the staircase leading up the Gym. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki…” He said as she approached. He still wasn’t smiling, but Kiyuki noticed that didn’t look as down as yesterday. Maybe Marnie was able to get through to him. “I’m still not too sure what I should do about all that stuff I told you before. About me being weak and dragging down Lee’s good name and all, yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I remember,” Kiyuki said quietly, “you remember what I told you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded, and smiled ever so slightly. He glanced up into the sky, closing his eyes for a moment. “But the only thing I can do is get stronger, right? So I’m gonna try out all kinds of different things against you and see what works!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, if you’re sure,” Kiyuki grinned, “I won’t back down from a good battle. You’re on!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop grinned at her, and Kiyuki was extremely glad to see him back to his usual self, even if only for a moment.”Then let’s do this! I bet an all-out battle with my true rival will help me get my head on straight!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki led with Hallow the Mimikyu, while Hop sent out a Cramorant. <em>Huh, haven’t seen him use that Pokémon before, </em>she thought, now seriously wishing she had some sort of Electric-type attack.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hallow, Hone Claws while you still have your disguise!” Kiyuki called, and Hop called for a Dive. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeing that she couldn’t hit the Cramorant, Kiyuki called for a second Hone Claws. The Dive connected with Hallow, but only managed to break her disguise. The Cramorant, however, now had an Arrokuda in its mouth. Where it got that in the middle of Stow-on-Side, Kiyuki had no idea.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was anticipating where the Cramorant would come back up, and able to command Hallow’s Play Rough to the correct spot. With her boosted attack, she was able to easily knock it out. Before it went down however, it managed to spit the Arrokuda out, sending Hallow flying back. Her claws came out, carving claw marks into the dirt as she tried to slow her slide. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Arrokuda had caused an awful lot of damage, Kiyuki noted, but Hallow was still good to battle. Hop’s next Pokémon was a Silicobra of his own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shadow Sneak!” Kiyuki called, and Hallow sent a dark, shadowy trail at the Silicobra. She bounced from side to side as the attack came up and hit the Silicobra from behind. Kiyuki figured it would be enough to knock it out, but it wasn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s Silicobra used Glare on Hallow, paralyzing her. She was a lot more vulnerable now without her ability to move around, and based on the moves Hylla knew, Kiyuki had a feeling that Hop’s Silicobra would be going for a Ground-type attack.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hallow, return! Let’s finish it off, Cornelius!” She said, and Cornelius squawked as he appeared. Hop called for a Dig, like Kiyuki expected, and Silicobra disappeared into the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stay up so it can’t hit you, Cornelius!” Kiyuki called up to her Corvisquire, “Hone Claws, then watch where it comes out and hit it!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Silicobra stayed underground for a while, but eventually started to emerge with a puff of sand. Cornelius started his dive, talons outstretched. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jump out and Brutal Swing!” Hop yelled, likely intending to hit Cornelius out of his dive. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pull up!” Kiyuki yelled, and Cornelius immediately spread his wings and slowed his descent enough so the Brutal Swing swished through the air instead of hitting him. “Now get it! Use Pluck!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius’ attack connected, knocking out the already injured Silicobra. “That was a good move, Hop!” Kiyuki called, glad to see Hop wasn’t looking upset. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You saw right through it, mate! I thought I had you! Go, Toxel!” He grinned at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Electric/Poison-type. Bad news for Cornelius, but Hylla would be excellent in this situation. Kiyuki recalled Cornelius, and sent out her own Silicobra in his place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla hissed as she came out, staring down the Toxel. “Is that the same one Team Yell woke up?” Hop asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Yeah! Hylla, use Bulldoze!” The Toxel didn’t stand a chance against an extremely effective hit like that, and went down immediately. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know what I can do to try to win now, but all I can do is try! There’s nothing else for it!” Hop said as he recalled the defeated Toxel. His face was set into a grimace, but he shot Kiyuki a quick half-smile as he reached for his final Pokémon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was surprised to see him pull out a Dusk Ball, sending out his Eevee instead of his Wooloo. <em>He’s really changed up his team… </em>Kiyuki realized, noticing that he didn’t have his Corvisquire either. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use Glare,” Kiyuki told Hylla, “then get ready to dodge.” Hylla paralyzed the Eevee, but unfortunately it didn’t get completely paralyzed and launched itself at Hylla with a Bite. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The attack connected, and Hylla hissed, spitting up a small sandstorm in response. It battered the Eevee, but it just shook the sand out of its fur and launched itself at the Silicobra again with a Quick Attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bulldoze!” Kiyuki yelled, “then use Dig!” Hylla caused a small earthquake, rattling Hop’s Eevee, then disappeared underground as Eevee jumped at her with another Bite. Eevee’s fur crackled with electricity as the paralysis finally took its toll, causing its movements to momentarily slow down. It was just enough of an opening for Hylla to emerge from underground and attack. Her attack sent Eevee skidding back towards Hop, knocking it out.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With the battle over, Kiyuki looked over to Hop to see how he was doing. “Hrmmm…” He said, his face set in a grimace. “I tried switching my team members in and out to max out their potential in every matchup, but we just couldn’t get it together somehow… Maybe that’s why I’m still so weak…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop…” Kiyuki said, stepping closer to him to place her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve told you before that you’re not weak. And true, maybe I’ve never lost a battle, but that’s just as much due to my Pokémon as it is to me. It’s my bonds with them, their trust in me, and my trust in them, that gets us through. I see now that your problem is that you get in your head too much, especially when things start to go wrong. Trust in your team Hop, and in yourself. You are stronger than you think.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled at her, “I know you’re right, Kiyuki. It’s just hard sometimes… But I don’t want people to be laughing at Lee all because his little brother is rubbish! It’s not enough! I’ve got to try harder! And harder and harder till no one’s laughing!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki grit her teeth again, once again wanting nothing more than to beat Bede into the ground for doing this to her friend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m off, mate! Off to find the kind of Pokémon that I can really draw the strength out of!” Hop said, and he was gone again before Kiyuki could snap herself out of her thoughts, or even say anything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She watched him go, sad that he was still doubting himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That child…” A voice came out from beside her, and Kiyuki jumped, whirling around. It was an old woman in a pink and blue dress with a large purple collar, carrying a matching umbrella hooked around her wrist. But Kiyuki hadn’t even heard her come up. <em>Where did she come from? Was she there the whole time?</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm… You’re one of the Gym Challengers endorsed by Leon, aren’t you?” The woman said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am, yes. Sorry, have we met? I feel like I’ve seen you before,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My name’s Opal,” she said, then used her umbrella to gesture after Hop’s retreating form. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gym Challengers should battle for the sake of their own Pokémon,” she continued, “why worry about saving the Champion’s name? We all know he’s unbeatable. Anyway, here’s something for letting me watch your battle.” Opal smiled at her and handed her two League Cards.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah! I remember!” Kiyuki said, “the opening ceremony! You’re a Gym Leader!” She glanced at the two cards, one was Opal’s, and the other was Bea’s. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal smiled at her again. “Correct. You’ll be facing me if you manage to defeat Bea. If you want to know more, have a look at my League Card. I expect I’ll be seeing you soon, so on you go to the Stow-on-Side Gym, child.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, and Opal left, heading down the path to the right of the Gym. Kiyuki stopped at the Pokémon Centre again to heal her team after the battle, before heading to the Gym herself. She let Nimbus out of her Ball once she was back outside to let her get a bit of fresh air before the Gym. Kiyuki watched her drift around her head for a moment, enjoying the early afternoon sun. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had to do a double take as she watched Nimbus. <em>Something’s off… </em>“Hold on, Nimbus, stop for a second,” she said, and the Swablu hovered in the air and chirped curiously. Kiyuki took a closer look at her, and realized that she was actually right in her first assessment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus’ head and tail feathers were noticeably longer, as were her wings. “You’re about to evolve… I never thought I would see that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus didn’t do anything for a moment, then chirped and started flying towards the Gym again. Kiyuki smiled and followed her. <em>I can’t believe it…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki fiddled with her Dynamax Band as she walked into the Stow-on-Side Gym. It was Fighting-type, and Nimbus, Cornelius, and Hallow all had a super effective attacks, so Kiyuki wasn’t particularly worried. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>What the heck is this, though? </em>Kiyuki thought as she walked into the Gym. There was a sort of pod at the top of a slope, complete with walls and bumpers.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s all this then? Some sort of pinball machine?” Kiyuki voiced her thoughts to Dan, who explained the mission to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Something like that. To complete the mission, you’ll need to ride in one of these cups and make your way to the goal while trying to avoid obstacles!” He said, before stepping back and allowing Kiyuki to step into the first cup. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was surprisingly difficult to control. She bumped into a few walls before she finally got the hang of it and reached the first goal. The cup came to a stop, but Kiyuki’s vision kept spinning. She stepped out of the cup onto the platform, and promptly fell over. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right there, Challenger?” A bemused voice rang out, and through her spinning vision Kiyuki could make out a Gym Trainer looking for a battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, “yeah, sorry! I’ll battle you in a moment. Just going to lay here until everything stops spinning.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually though, she picked herself up off the ground and battled the Trainer, with Hallow defeating his Stufful and Bewear. </span>
  <span class="s1">“Sorry. But you’re probably used to Challengers falling over after that,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Gym Trainer just shrugged. “All the time. You’re not the first, and you certainly won’t be the last,” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s stomach was already churning as she stepped into the second cup. She had better control over it this time, but had to use the large boxing gloves to bounce herself around, leading to a lot of spinning to constantly reposition herself. There was at least a wall at the bottom when she stepped out of the cup, and she groaned and leaned up against against it, but fortunately avoided falling over this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius defeated the next Gym Trainer’s Farfetch’d with his newly learned Drill Peck, and Kiyuki continued onto the next portion. This one was a lot easier to navigate, and she mainly just had to hit the right boxing gloves and they sent her to the goal with a lot less spinning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t even have to lean up against a wall this time, and Cornelius quickly defeated the last Trainer. She did stop for a moment and made sure nothing was spinning anymore before proceeding up the staircase, which didn’t have railings of any sort. Last thing she needed was to fall off.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Upon reaching the top, Dan declared the Gym mission to be cleared, and the doors slid open for Kiyuki to go face Bea. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Bea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second chapter today, since this one is also on the shorter side. </p>
<p>Team recap:<br/>Nimbus (Swablu): Mirror Move, Cotton Guard, Disarming Voice, Hyper Voice<br/>Cornelius (Corvisquire): Drill Peck, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Taunt<br/>Flicker (Litwick): Fire Spin, Shadow Ball, Will-o-Wisp, Hex<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Play Rough, Shadow Sneak, Hone Claws, Mimic<br/>Hylla (Silicobra): Dig, Bulldoze, Glare, Headbutt<br/>Tsareena (who doesn't make an appearance)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus still hadn’t evolved by the time Kiyuki was walking down the familiar dark tunnel leading to the Stadium, the steady noise of the crowd reaching her ears. After checking over her team once again to make sure they were still in good health, Kiyuki stepped out onto the pitch, very glad her vision wasn’t spinning anymore. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Crossing to the centre like before, she saw Bea coming out of the other tunnel, her bare feet padding across the pitch.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome, Challenger Kiyuki. I’m Bea,” she clasped her hands and bowed to her, before continuing. “Do you have an unshakable spirit that won’t be moved, no matter how you are attacked? I think I’ll just test that out, shall I?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled at her and nodded, before turning and taking her place on the battlefield, and Bea sent out a Hitmontop. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go, Nimbus!” Kiyuki said, grabbing the Ultra Ball containing Nimbus from her belt. The Swablu chirped as she came out, hovering in place. “Start off with a Cotton Guard!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Hitmontop was much faster though, and was already bearing down on Nimbus with a Revenge. “Watch out!” Kiyuki yelled, but Nimbus still got hit despite trying to dodge. Even though it was a neutral hit, it was still strong enough to send Nimbus flying back. She manage to right herself in the air, before she landed and got the Cotton Guard off to raise her defence. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>That should help. </em>Hitmontop was already coming at her again, and aimed a Triple Kick to knock Nimbus out of the air. “Dodge it, then Disarming Voice!” She called. Nimbus flapped her wings once, so Hitmontop’s kick passed harmlessly beneath her and hit it with a Disarming Voice before it could recover. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki frowned when she saw the damage it took. <em>Hmm… I think we’re better off using Hyper Voice, even though it’s not super effective. </em>Nimbus was still keeping to the air, but Kiyuki was wary. She knew that Bea would have some sort of strategy to deal with Flying-type Pokémon, since she was a Fighting-type expert and all. Kiyuki was just waiting for her to reveal what is was. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Spinning on its head, Hitmontop tried to hit her with another Revenge. “Dodge!” Kiyuki yelled, and Nimbus managed to avoid the hit, but only barely. “Let’s try something different. Mirror Move!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hasn’t used this move yet in a battle, but she was glad she had it now. Nimbus copied the Hitmontop’s Revenge, and although her physical attack wasn’t the greatest, it was still enough to knock the Hitmontop back and give her some space. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Too soon, the Hitmontop spun back around, this time connecting the Triple Kick and knocking Nimbus into the ground. The earlier Cotton Guard saved her from being knocked out, but she helplessly tried to struggle to her feet as the Hitmontop came in with a Quick Attack to finish her off. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No!” Kiyuki yelled. <em>Not again… I’m sorry Nimbus! </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The finishing hit didn’t land though. Nimbus let out a draconic screech that Kiyuki had never imagined could come from a Swablu, and became engulfed in a brilliant blue light. Hitmontop’s attack was harmlessly absorbed and it got flung back towards Bea, who was watching the Swablu with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Although Kiyuki could only see her silhouette in the light, she could Nimbus start to grow larger. Her head and tail feathers elongated. Her wingspan grew larger to match her new size, the silhouette of her cottony wings stretching out. Once she finished growing, the light faded.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Holy Arceus… Yes! </em>Kiyuki gaped at the Altaria, as Nimbus let out the same draconic shriek as before and flew up, a purple fog starting to gather around her mouth. The crowd yelled and cheered, the cameras zooming in on Nimbus. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But there was still a battle to win, so Kiyuki shook off her shock at amazement at Nimbus’ well-timed evolution.“Yes, Nimbus! Use Dragon Breath!” She yelled, and Nimbus released the purple fog gathering in her mouth, utilizing her newfound Dragon typing well. The attack surrounded the Hitmontop and clung to it, leaving it paralyzed. Nimbus was much faster than it now, and she quickly knocked it out with a Hyper Voice. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered again as Bea recalled the defeated Hitmontop. “Impressive. But an evolution won’t save you. Pangoro will take care of this,” she said.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Dark and Fighting-type. Hallow could easily take care of this, but Nimbus is doing really well now. </em>“Dragon Breath!” Kiyuki called, hoping she could get the paralysis again. The attack crackled the air around the Pangoro, as it tried to roll out of the way. The leaf in its mouth twitched, but the Dragon Breath managed to graze it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It roared before coming at Nimbus, readying a Night Slash. <em>It can use the leaf to anticipate Nimbus’ movements, </em>Kiyuki realized, <em>that’s how he could get away from the Dragon Breath</em>. But if she waited for the Pangoro to get closer, without having Nimbus do anything, a point-blank Hyper Voice could probably hit it without the Pangoro anticipating her movements. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She waited until the Pangoro leapt up to hit Nimbus, and yelled “Now! Hyper Voice!” Just before the Night Slash connected, Nimbus reared her head up and hit the incoming Pangoro with Hyper Voice. The attack was distinctly more song-like than it was when she was a Swablu, and much more powerful. It sent the Pangoro crashing to the ground, and Nimbus followed up with a Disarming Voice at Kiyuki’s command to finish it off. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bea’s next Pokémon was a Sirfetch’d. It swung its leek lance through the air a few times, and readied a leaf shield, staring down Nimbus. She’s never fought a Sirfetch’d before, so she called for a Disarming Voice to test out it’s defences. But Kiyuki didn’t get to see, as the Sirfetch’d used Detect and Nimbus’ attack faded harmlessly against its shield. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Knowing it couldn’t use that twice in a row, Kiyuki called for a Dragon Breath. The Sirfetch’d tried to bat the attack away with its lance, but it was like trying to spear the fog. The Dragon Breath landed, surrounding the Sirfetch’d, but the duck Pokémon shook it off soon after. It used Revenge and swung its lance at Nimbus, trying to spear her, but she managed to narrowly avoid it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>That lance has got a long reach. </em>“Nimbus, back up! Stay out of range!” Kiyuki yelled. Nimbus flapped her wings and propelled herself backwards as the lance came up for another hit. The Sirfetch’d swung at her some more, but Nimbus kept backing up, always staying just out of reach. The two Pokémon kept heading towards Kiyuki’s side of the battlefield, and she realized that Bea was trying to force her to back up until she had nowhere left to go. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Sirfetch’d’s swings were also preventing Nimbus from flying up. So the only way to go was down, but that meant going straight into the lance. She could just Hyper Voice, but Bea was surely anticipating that and was ready to call for a Detect. But if she could force her to protect herself, Nimbus could use that time to reposition herself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nimbus, ready a Dragon Breath!” Kiyuki called, but even with the purple fog forming around her mouth, the Sirfetch’d kept swinging. Nimbus was so close now that Kiyuki could almost reach out and touch her. She needed to figure something out quickly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now! Dragon Breath!” Kiyuki yelled, and Bea called for a Detect like Kiyuki anticipated. “Get out of there, fly up and use Dragon Breath again!” Nimbus flew clear of the lance’s range, before sending another cloud of Dragon Breath down at it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use Brutal Swing to clear the attack away!” She heard Bea yell. The Sirfetch’d held it’s lance out, before spinning on the spot. It sent the cloud of Dragon Breath billowing away, but also left itself rather dizzy, causing it to stumble. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Sitting duck. Literally. </em>“Finish it with a Hyper Voice!” Kiyuki yelled, and the dizzy Sirfetch’d left itself open from above, making it easy for Nimbus to hit it with a Hyper Voice and knock it out. The crowd cheered, seeing that Bea was on her last Pokémon. Nimbus was clearly exhausted after that, her head starting to droop and her wingbeats weaker. Kiyuki was still reluctant to Dynamax her anyways. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great job, Nimbus. Get some rest now, Hallow can finish this off,” she said, recalling the exhausted Altaria and switching in Hallow. The Mimikyu waved her claws around at Bea before her arms disappeared back under her disguise, waiting for Kiyuki’s instructions. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s time to dig in our heels! I’m not giving up, so neither should you!” Bea said from across the pitch, sending out a Machamp to meet Hallow. With Nimbus having defeated the other three Pokémon, Hallow was still at full health with an intact disguise, so Kiyuki knew she was in a very good spot. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go, Hallow! Show her what you’ve got! Dynamax!” Kiyuki yelled, recalling her and allowing the energy from her Dynamax Band fill her Ball. She threw the Ball behind her, watching Hallow grow to her enormous size.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Argh! Fine then, let’s just destroy everything!” She yelled, hitting the air with a karate move of some sort. “Your skill is worthy of respect—and Gigantamaxing!” Although, Kiyuki wasn’t entirely sure if Bea was talking to her or to the Machamp. She watched as Bea pulled Machamp back into its Ball and activating her Dynamax Band before flinging the ball behind her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Machamp towered above the battlefield, even larger than Hallow. Its four hands glowed orange, and the colour ran down its arms in streams. It was seriously intimidating, but Hallow’s Ghost-typing blocked it from using it’s powerful Fighting-type attacks. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hallow’s Max Starfall came out first, sending streams of brightly coloured shooting stars at Machamp. The attack disappeared into the ground after landing the hit, causing the light pink fog of Misty Terrain to appear. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Machamp’s formidable physical defence meant that it lived, but was only able to return with a Max Darkness. Two dark streams came out and slammed into Hallow, which lowered her special defence, but only managed to break her disguise. Another Max Starfall, and Machamp was finished, shrinking back down in a column of flame. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki recalled Hallow as soon as she shrunk back down to normal size, before meeting Bea in the centre of the pitch once again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you for the battle.” She said, giving Kiyuki another quick bow. Kiyuki bowed her head in return, before Bea continued. “Facing you gave me all the explanation I needed. Battling against you and your team… I hadn’t expected it, but it made my heart dance. It’s good to be unshakeable in the face of battle. But it’s good to be moved by battle, as well. Thank you again. Take the Fighting Badge.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook Kiyuki’s hand and presented her with her fourth badge, emblazoned with a small fist symbol. Kiyuki snapped it into her Badge Ring like before, examining it before glancing back up at Bea as she spoke up again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I am honoured to have been your Swablu’s first opponent after it’s evolution,” Bea added, and Kiyuki smiled at her. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I guess that team recap at the beginning isn't quite true anymore :) </p>
<p>The only difference is that Nimbus now knows Dragon Breath instead of Mirror Move.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Ruin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was greeted by a familiar bark as she walked out of the Stow-on-Side Gym. She crouched down to scratch Yamper behind his ears, using her other hand to wave at Sonia. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Heya! Looks like my Yamper really likes you, huh?” Sonia said as she came up the stairs. Yamper had rolled over onto his back with his tongue lolling out, and Kiyuki just shrugged as she gave the small electric dog a belly rub. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So you’ve got the Fighting Badge, yeah? I was on Route 6, so I didn’t get a chance to watch it,” Sonia asked, and Kiyuki nodded, holding up her Badge Ring for Sonia to see. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“By the way,” She smirked, and Kiyuki had a feeling she wouldn’t like where this was going. “What did you do during that battle? Because a certain Dragon-type Gym Leader has been blowing up my texts for the last 20 minutes. He told me to ask you myself, so what gives?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, “I think I know.” She pulled Nimbus’ Ultra Ball from her belt and opened it up. The Altaria was still quite tired from the Gym battle, and hovered in the air next to Kiyuki with minimal wingbeats to keep her airborne. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Your Swablu evolved! She’s beautiful! What is she?” Sonia grinned, watching as Nimbus drifted over to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Altaria, and now she’s a Dragon-type too. Which I’m quite excited about,” Kiyuki answered, smiling as she watched Nimbus fly around Sonia, humming a Galarian song that Kiyuki remembered hearing in Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well that explains what’s got Raihan in this state,” Sonia laughed, and Kiyuki returned Nimbus to her ball to let her rest until she could get to the Pokémon Centre. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anyway, we’ve run into each other at a good time. There’s a mural here in Stow-on-Side, it’s said to tell the legend of the hero of Galar as well. Though what’s there today is actually a replica of the ancient art that used to be here,” Sonia smiled, before continuing. “You tend to have surprisingly sharp insight, so I was wondering what you might think when you see the ruins.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was about to reply, but loud bang interrupted her thoughts. It sounded like a wall being hit with something large and heavy. <em>I really hope that wasn’t the ruins…</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia confirmed her fears a moment later. “Wha? What in the world was that? Sounds like it came from the direction of the ruins, too…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go!” Kiyuki said, taking off running with Sonia and Yamper trailing behind her. They ran past several citizens of the town and some travellers, all anxiously looking in the direction of the noise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Destroy it! Destroy it all! We’re going to find those Wishing Stars!” Kiyuki heard an unwelcome voice yell out as she approached the top stairs. Sure enough, Bede was there, accompanied by a large elephant Pokémon that Kiyuki recognized as a Copperajah. <em>Since when did he have one of those… No matter, I can finally get revenge for Hop. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bede!” Kiyuki yelled. “What are you doing?!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He spun around, his face morphing into his usual smug look. “Oh my. You again… So you think that you can start collecting Wishing Stars now and get in the chairman’s favour?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t give a Rattata’s Nosepass about Wishing Stars! I fully intend to beat you into the ground right now for what you did to Hop!” Kiyuki yelled, letting her anger build as she strode up to him. She noted with satisfaction that Bede took a few steps back away from her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He was weak, he just needed to be shown that. I guess you could call it a form of mercy, to crush weak opponents,” Bede huffed. “ And I believe you are here to gather Wishing Stars and win the Chairman’s favour. So you do have some cunning in you, after all.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was about to yell at him again, but Bede continued, the look in his eyes darkening. “But I won’t have it! I won’t allow anyone to stand in my way!” He stepped back and pulling out a Great Ball, challenging her to a battle like she was hoping he would.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Finally… </em>Kiyuki gleefully thought. <em>Too bad I didn’t get to go to the Pokémon Centre, it would have been immensely satisfying to destroy him with Nimbus, but I’ll let her rest. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come out, Flicker. Let’s show him that no one hurts my friends and gets away with it. Will-o-Wisp.” She snarled at Bede, glaring at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick immediately shot a few small flames at Bede’s Duosion, burning it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmph. I’ve already seen more than enough to judge you and team’s abilities. Do you really think your pitiful burn will accomplish anything?” Bede scoffed, readying a Psyshock at Flicker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Flicker, use Fire Spin on the ground in front of you to shield yourself. Then Hex.” Kiyuki said flatly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The swirling twister of flame flared to life in front of Flicker just as the psychic stones of Psyshock all converged on him, and the tornado flung them out of the way. They scattered around the battlefield, one landing in front of Kiyuki. She crushed it under her foot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker followed up with a powerful, boosted Hex. Because of Duosion’s burn, Flicker’s attack instantly knocked it out before it could even react. Bede wasn’t even fazed as he recalled the Duosion, replacing it with a Gothorita. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was mildly surprised however to see that it knew Rock Tomb. It telekinetically raised three decently sized rocks that would seriously damage Flicker if they connected. And Kiyuki doubted a Fire Spin would stop them, but a Shadow Ball would. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shadow Ball the first two, then trap the third one.” Kiyuki growled, noting that the Gothorita threw each rock with plenty of time for Flicker to react between each one. The first Shadow Ball caused the closest rock to explode into shards, and one of the larger shards happened to block the Psybeam Bede was aiming at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The second Shadow Ball caused the next rock to explode into shards as well, before Flicker’s flames surrounded and caused the third one to freeze in the air. “Send it back, Flicker,” Kiyuki snarled at Bede. She smirked when she noticed that his usually smug appearance was looking like it was starting to crack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They hadn’t practiced this in training, but Flicker tried to use some of the flames to hit the rock from behind, launching it at Gothorita. Without practice, it was slow enough for Gothorita to dodge, but left it very vulnerable to a well-placed Shadow Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for just that. Gothorita barely had time to turn around and squeak before the super effective Shadow Ball slammed into it, sending it sprawling back, knocked out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ponyta was next. “Fire Spin, then Will-o-Wisp. Let’s get some chip damage going on it.” Flicker made a noise in agreement, conjuring up a fiery tornado and sending it careening at the Ponyta, who in the process of using Agility.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It kept dashing around the battlefield, causing the first Will-o-Wisp to miss. But the Fire Spin appeared and flickered in and out of existence every now and then, and when it did the Ponyta was left struggling in the air for a split second. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched the timing of the Fire Spin, only once ordering a Shadow Ball to block the incoming Psybeam. She waited until a mere two seconds before the Fire Spin slowed the Ponyta down, before calling for a Will-o-Wisp again. Despite the rage boiling in her gut, her thoughts were surprisingly clear and she had timed it perfectly, landing the Will-o-Wisp. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The burn didn’t do much to slow it down, but it was nothing for Flicker to use his flame-trapping to freeze the Ponyta in place and finish it off with a Hex. Now Bede was down 3 Pokémon, and Flicker hadn’t taken a single hit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have to win this for the chairman! Do you really think I’d let you keep me from everything I want?” Bede yelled, sounding increasingly desperate. Kiyuki said nothing, having no intentions of letting up, or showing any sort of mercy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His final Pokémon was Hattrem. It immediately shot a Psybeam at Flicker. Having an idea, Kiyuki called for Flicker to use Fire Spin underneath himself, using the tornado to lift him up and out of harm’s way. He had a clear shot with Will-o-Wisp to burn the slow-moving Hattrem, and quickly finished it off with a Hex before it could even blink.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! This has to be some kind of mistake. I demand a do-over,” Bede scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Kiyuki.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh sure. If you want another battle, I’ll give you another battle. I can do this all day, and I’ll just beat you again. And again. And again. Until you learn not to mess with my friends!” Kiyuki snarled, and Bede turned away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But why…? How can this be? How could someone like you get in my way? I was the one chosen by the chairman… I was the one who was to defeat the Champion…” He seemed to be talking more to himself than to her. He suddenly sounded far less sure of himself, surprising Kiyuki. “I’m one of the elite—someone who can shoulder the future of the Galar region!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was about to snap back at him again, when a voice rang out from the stairs. Kiyuki whirled around, seeing two League staff, then Chairman Rose and Oleana. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wondered what you were up to when you asked to borrow Chairman Rose’s Copperajah…” Oleana said, turning her ever present disapproving look on Bede and completely ignoring Kiyuki. “I can’t believe you’d try to use the chairman’s Pokémon to destroy a historical site!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who cares for some ancient ruin when the next thousand years are at stake?! Did you stand in the path of a Pokémon’s Simple Beam or something? How do you expect to support the chairman with that sort of thinking?” Bede shot back at her, his usual smug look back.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chairman Rose looked up at him, seeming more sad and disappointed than anything. “Young Bede… It pains me to have to say this, but…” He hesitated for a moment, taking in a breath. “I am truly disappointed. It’s true that I am the one who found you, back when you were all alone…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head, pressing his fingertips to his forehead. “And I saw talent in you. You reminded me a little bit of myself, back when I was young. That’s why I sent you to a Trainer’s school, to give you a chance at success.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When he opened his eyes again, Kiyuki was shocked at the sadness there. “But trying to destroy the mural—part of Galar’s history! You show no love toward Galar! You are clearly not a worthy challenger for the Gym Challenge. We will decide what to do with you later. For now, you will return to Hammerlocke.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>What?! He’s being disqualified? </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard Bede’s sharp intake of breath, and feeling her anger fizzle out in an instant, replaced with disbelief. “You…you must be joking, right?” He stuttered, “you’re disqualifying me from the Gym Challenge? But you’re the one who endorsed me! There are a hundred different ways we could sort this out…Why are you choosing the worst possible option?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oleana held her hand out, demanding the Wishing Stars Bede had collected. When he hesitated, the two League staff marched up, seizing the Wishing Stars from him and escorting him down the steps. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched him go. <em>I…never thought it would end like that. I thought this would end only with his defeat at the end of Gym Challenge, in an official battle. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah, Sonia! And Kiyuki, too. Terrible shame, all this. An absolute disaster. I never wish to see us lose challengers for this sort of reason. Yet we do what we must do to keep things fair and sportsmanlike,” the chairman said, shaking his head before leaving with Oleana close behind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know,” Sonia started, “during one of Bede’s matches, I heard the announcer say that Bede has no family. Apparently it was Rose who took Bede under his wing, and so Bede was battling for the Chairman’s sake.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is all my fault…” Kiyuki whispered. “I never imagined it would end like that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! Kiyuki, this is in no way your fault!” Sonia said, her eyes widening. “Although, I gotta say, you’re downright terrifying when you’re mad.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just wanted revenge for Hop… to teach him a lesson for what he said to him…” Kiyuki said quietly. And Sonia nodded, looking at her sadly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ya know, you’re very protective of your friends, I’m starting to notice. Kind of like a dragon, actually. Which isn’t a bad thing, but careful, ya know? But what an awful turn of events… I hope the mural survived all that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki turned, finally glancing up at the mural that Sonia wanted her input on. But before she could get a really good look at it, the stone gave a terrifying crack. Kiyuki jumped back, pulling on Sonia’s coat to get her out of the way, just as chunks of the mural cracked and fell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They coughed a few times from the dust, and Kiyuki waved her hand in front of her to clear it away. But when the dust finally settled, what lay behind the now-destroyed mural was what truly caused Kiyuki’s breath to catch in her throat. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Credits to MandJTV (a YouTube Channel) for "Rattata's Nosepass." That's just too good to not include.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Tangle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>The wolf… but why are there two? </em>Kiyuki dug through her backpack for her sketchbook, flipping to the drawing she had done way back at the Professor’s house. She held up the book, comparing the statues and her drawing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were quite similar, but the wolves in the statue looked a lot more regal than the one from the Slumbering Weald. The one she had seen there looked more ancient. More broken, like an ancient weapon that had rusted away. But it was certainly the same wolf, although it looked more like the one holding the sword in the statue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Glancing over to Sonia, her question died in her throat when she could practically see the gears turning in her head. She stayed silent for a moment, until her face lit up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not a brilliant turn of events, but the ruins were brought into the light for us to see. Yet so strange… Do you remember the tapestries at Hammerlocke, Kiyuki?” Sonia said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I remember there being a sword and a shield, but it was just that there. A sword and a shield. Objects. There weren’t any Pokémon on the tapestries. But the one holding the sword looks just like the Pokémon from the Slumbering Weald…” Kiyuki said, offering her sketch to Sonia. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She held up Kiyuki’s sketch, comparing them for a moment. “I think you’re right! You drew this?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, “a while back. Sorry for not getting a chance to show you sooner. But why are there two? We only saw one… unless there are two and we just didn’t see the second one?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe. Those Pokémon appear to be holding a sword and shield as if they were using them. I think the hero was actually two people!” Sonia asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Or two Pokémon…” Kiyuki added quietly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You might onto something, Kiyuki. But if there really were two heroes, then why only the one statue at the Budew Drop Inn?” Sonia said, turning back to the statues. “More than any statue of a hero or old tapestry, these ruins made in truly ancient times must show us the real truth.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then that could only mean the sword and shield are Pokémon, the one from the Slumbering Weald and its counterpart.” Kiyuki finished. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right! Seems like at some point in history the sword and shield were combined with the two actual Pokémon and treated as the same thing… But then what? They just faded from history?” Sonia said, touching her chin again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sonia, something’s going on here. I remember Raihan saying that parts of legends sometimes get lost over time, but this is more than lost. Behind a wall like this? It looks like these statues were hidden on purpose,” Kiyuki added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But why hide it? What would be the point?” Sonia frowned, thinking some more. “Two young heroes… The sword and shield were actually Pokémon… But why would the truth of these ruins be hidden when their stories were depicted in artwork? So many more questions… but I really feel like we made a big discovery here. Thanks!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled, “no problem. I want to know too!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, and can I take a picture of that drawing of yours? Raihan’s still been looking in the Hammerlocke University library in his spare time, this might help him,” Sonia asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki held out her sketch, and Sonia’s phone snapped a photo. Kiyuki used her own phone to take a few pictures of the ruins. In case she had a chance to look at them later. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Guess you’ll be headed to Ballonlea next, right? You’ll have to go through the Glimwood Tangle,” Sonia said, her gaze on her phone as she typed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s the next Gym? I really don’t like the idea of going through something called the ‘Glimwood Tangle’. That does not sound good,” Kiyuki frowned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia laughed, “Oh it’s not that bad. Just stay on the path and you’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right… That’s not reassuring at all…” Kiyuki laughed, saying goodbye to Sonia and heading back to the Pokémon Centre. <em>To the Glimwood Tangle, I guess</em>. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, the Glimwood Tangle was certainly dark and dim. It was certainly a wood, and it was certainly tangled. The interlacing tree branches overhead blocked out the sunlight so the only source of light were the glowing mushrooms scattered about, green, pink, and yellow. And the occasional Ponyta. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And Kiyuki was constantly getting jumped by Impidimp. Another one of the little gremlins leapt from a ledge out of the dark, landing on her head with a cackle. She had Cornelius out of his Ball and flying beside her, and he hit the Impidimp squarely with a Drill Peck as soon Kiyuki shook it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seriously… that’s the eighth one. How do we get out of here?” She said, stopping at a fork in the path. Each way looked identical, so she arbitrarily chose to go left. Cornelius’ wings brushed up against a mushroom, scattering glowing spores over himself and her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki didn’t get very far before tripping over a tree root she couldn’t see, landing flat on her face with a yell. Another cackle came out of the darkness as yet another Impidimp jumped on her, starting to tug on a piece of her hair. Cornelius swooped in, squawking and driving the Impidimp off of her, while she sat up and spat out a mouthful of dirt. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius came back a moment later having defeated the Impidimp, landing next to her. He gave a quiet caw, tilting his head at her. “I’m not hurt, Cornelius. Don’t worry,” she gave him a small smile, gently scratching him under his beak. “This is terrible, it’s like a maze in here. But I don’t really see a better strategy than just trying different paths until one works. So let’s keep going, I guess.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stood up cautiously, double checking that she hadn’t hurt herself. When nothing hurt, she dusted herself off and kept going in a direction that she was pretty sure was forward. Keeping her pace slow so she didn’t trip over any more tree roots, Kiyuki followed the path winding around several massive trees. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt like she had been walking forever in the dark, light flaring every time she brushed up against one of the glowing mushrooms. No Impidimp attacked her this time, and daylight streamed in from a gap in the trees ahead as she rounded another tree. Finally, a path leading out!</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes!” Kiyuki yelled, breaking into a run towards the light. Cornelius flew along beside her, and she ran along the path and out of the forest, finding herself…</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Back at Stow-on-Side. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, come on!” She yelled, ignoring the confused looks of the passerby. She turned back to give the forest a disapproving glare, as if that would help, until she heard her name behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What happened to you?” Sonia giggled. Surprisingly, Raihan was there with her. He was trying, although rather unsuccessfully, to stifle a laugh as well. And Kiyuki could only imagine how she looked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Impidimps and very inconveniently placed tree roots happened,” Kiyuki shot back at Sonia, her face heating up as she tried to pick the twigs and leaves out of her hair, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “That place is terrible, how long has it been?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“20 minutes,” Sonia laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! No way!” Kiyuki exclaimed, “it feels like I’ve been in there for hours!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope,” Raihan laughed, “I got here just after you left. Apparently missed you by 2 minutes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Looking at the ruins, I’m guessing?” Kiyuki asked as she pulled another twig out of her hair. She snapped it in half between her fingers, then let it fall to the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded, “Sonia filled me in on some of your theories. And that statue with the sword really does look a lot like your drawing. It’s a great drawing by the way, and I could’ve really used that a couple days ago when I was in the library.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki tried to apologize, but Raihan waved it off. “I didn’t find anything, before you ask,” he added.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Umm, thanks! And thanks for looking, I appreciate it,” Kiyuki smiled at him, and he returned it. “I guess it’s back into the forest for me. Hopefully I’ll get a little less lost this time.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You stayed on the path, right?” Sonia asked, reiterating her earlier advice. But Kiyuki glanced back up at Raihan, who was pointing in the direction of Route 6. Or was he trying to tell her to go right, maybe?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Sonia caught on to what he was doing, and nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey! Don’t tell her! She’s a Gym Challenger, she’s supposed to figure it out herself!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? I’m not telling her!” Raihan feigned ignorance, dropping his hand to his side. <em>You’re a terrible liar, Raihan. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were pointing!” Sonia retorted. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All I was saying is that she probably went left at the pink mushroom!” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Actually, I did,” Kiyuki laughed. “How’d you know?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did that too, and so did Leon. Sonia had to navigate us both through there years ago,” Raihan smirked, raising his hand to the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Leon’s directionally challenged. I don’t know what your excuse was…” Sonia smirked at him and poked him in the shoulder. Kiyuki watched them, smiling at their teasing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s the bloody Glimwood Tangle, that’s my excuse,” Raihan shot back, but he was still smiling. “Then again, it is surprisingly easy to navigate once you know now. Unless you’re Leon, that is.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A straight path with nothing else is still difficult for Leon to navigate…” Sonia drily muttered, and Kiyuki and Raihan both laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Very true. And thanks, Raihan. I owe you one.” Kiyuki said, letting Hylla out of her Ball so she could gain some experience. Her colouration was starting to change, becoming darker and drawing patterns across her skin, a sure sign that she was close to evolving. Cornelius’ feathers were also changing colour again, this time becoming darker and starting to take on a metallic sheen. Kiyuki wanted to see if they would both evolve before she got to Ballonlea. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She thought she saw Raihan raise an eyebrow momentarily at seeing the Silicobra, but it disappeared just as quickly. “Just make it through the rest of your Gym Challenge so I can defeat you myself, and we’ll call it even,” he said, smirking at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, waving at them before letting the darkness of the forest swallow her up again. She came across the pink mushroom soon enough, and went right this time. A Morgrem blocked her path shortly ahead, grinning and cackling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla hissed at hit, descending down from Kiyuki’s shoulder to the ground, although it was hardly a fair fight. The Morgrem used Swagger on her, and she was easily able to knock it out with the boosted attack. It retreated as she hissed after it, but before Kiyuki could pick her up again, Hylla became enveloped in a blue light. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla grew much longer, coiling as she went. When the light died down, Kiyuki could sort of see the completed changes in her colouration, although it was still hard to see in the darkness. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Sandaconda, the Sand Snake Pokémon. When it contracts its body, over 220 pounds of sand sprays from its nose. If it ever runs out of sand, it becomes disheartened. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nicely done, Hylla.” Kiyuki grinned as she closed her Pokédex. She tapped a mushroom behind her to get enough light to snap a somewhat decent photo of the Sandaconda, who gave a little happy hiss. The Glimwood Tangle certainly wasn’t the best place to take photos, but Kiyuki had been trying to take some more.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s keep going, then. I’ll take a better look at you once we get to Ballonlea. Although I think you’re a little too heavy for me to carry now…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla wasn’t too bothered by that apparently, instead just slowly slithering beside Kiyuki as they continued along the path, still following the outside edge. Kiyuki let Cornelius back out of his Ball, watching him soaring around and causing bursts of light to appear whenever he brushed past a mushroom. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ultimately, another Morgrem blocked Kiyuki’s path. Cornelius swooped in to battle it, becoming engulfed in blue light once he defeated it. His silhouette grew far larger, and his dark feathers made him nearly invisible once the light faded. The slight red glow of the Corviknight’s eyes were the only indication that he was there. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Funny how I would end up with the first Pokémon I saw in Galar on my team. And Nimbus, Cornelius, and Hylla all evolving in the span of a day… What are the odds of that happening?</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Although, Kiyuki quickly gave up on trying to get a picture of Cornelius. Taking a picture of a dark bird in a dark forest was certainly not very practical. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki left both Hylla and Cornelius out of their Balls, although Cornelius flew off somewhere else in the woods. She stepped over another large tree root and followed the path around another large tree. The path went through a sort of tunnel formed by massive tree roots, and Kiyuki could see many more glowing mushrooms in the distance. And an additional glow that was not a mushroom, but a Pokémon Centre. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Finally…</em> Kiyuki grinned, returning Hylla to her Ball. She called Cornelius back from wherever he had flown off to do the same. He landed next to her with a swish of his wings, the light from a nearby mushroom reflecting off his feathers, and off something he had clenched in his beak. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He dropped it whatever it was into Kiyuki’s hand. She took a quick look at it, seeing that it a TM containing U-turn.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Cornelius. Get some rest now, we'll challenge the Gym tomorrow.” She said, returning him to his Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>And thank you, Raihan. </em>She thought as she headed through the tree root tunnel into Ballonlea. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man, it took me literally forever to get through the Glimwood Tangle. My awful sense of direction in real life also extends to video games.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Opal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Team recap:</p><p>Nimbus (Altaria): Disarming Voice, Hyper Voice, Cotton Guard, Dragon Breath <br/>Cornelius (Corviknight): Drill Peck, Steel Wing, Hone Claws, Taunt<br/>Flicker (Litwick): Shadow Ball, Hex, Will-o-Wisp, Fire Spin<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Play Rough, Shadow Sneak, Hone Claws, Slash<br/>Hylla (Sandaconda): Headbutt, Dig, Rock Blast, Glare<br/>Tsareena is also technically there, but doesn't make an appearance.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ballonlea was beautiful, mystical, and whimsical. The town was still completely in the forest with the canopy blocking out the sunlight, but there were way more glowing mushrooms here then there were in the Tangle. They casted a beautiful, multicoloured glow over the area, and Kiyuki could see Hattrem, Chinchou, and Morelull adding a glow of their own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was certainly the perfect place for a Fairy-type Gym. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki walked into the Stadium the next day, after a much needed shower and change of clothes. It was much cooler here out of the sunlight, but she was nice and warm in her favourite sweater from Hoenn, navy blue with the Dragon-type symbol printed on it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie was coming out of the Gym as Kiyuki walked in. “Hey, Marnie! You finished the Gym?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, “And you got four Gym Badges already? I’m gonna have to watch out for you, huh? Even Morpeko is wary of you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Morpeko chattered at her. “Wait… Morpeko, don’t tell me you actually like Kiyuki? Ugh! We’ve already had a serious battle with her. She’s an opposin’ Gym Challenger! Guess there’s nothin’ to it. Look, just take one of my League Cards, OK?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, handing Marnie one of her own cards in exchange. “I guess we are sort of rivals now. You’re a lot of fun to battle, though. We should definitely have another one at some point.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie gazed at her, smiling ever so slightly. “We should. I’ll think of you as my rival from now on, OK? There aren’t too many Gym Challengers left, y’know. So we’re meetin’ in the Finals. You got that?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I look forward to it,” Kiyuki replied. “By the way, thanks for talking to Hop. He seemed to be doing a little better when I went to challenge the Gym in Stow-on-Side.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie waved her off. “I didn’t really do anythin’.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You did though!” Kiyuki said, “he even went and challenged me to another battle before the Gym!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s not too surprisin’. I still haven’t seen Bede to beat ‘im into the ground yet,” Marnie said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um… Yeah… About that…” Kiyuki grimaced, quickly explaining what had happened with Bede and the ruins. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie stared at her wide-eyed. “Disqualified? I can’t believe it… But I’m glad you managed to teach him a lesson. I’m gonna head to the next Gym now, you should take on this one. Good luck, Kiyuki.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki waved at Marnie as she left. She heard the people in the lobby whispering as she walked up to the Gym Trainer to challenge the Gym. She heard them say her name, and how strong she was, which Kiyuki was happy to hear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The noise died down once she stepped into the locker room to change into her uniform. The Gym Trainer in the lobby led her through the door, which opened to a flight of stairs leading down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the stairs didn’t lead to the wide open area Kiyuki was anticipating. Instead, it looked like she was backstage of a theatre. <em>Um… I don’t have to do any acting or singing and dancing, do I?</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dan the referee was there as always, but this time Opal was beside him. Opal turned to smile at Kiyuki when she reached the bottom of the steps.“Ah, there you are, my dear Gym Challenger. Though you are really lacking in the colour pink,” she said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, these are the official Gym uniforms, so I can’t do very much about the colour,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Indeed not,” Opal smiled. “But nevertheless, I’m looking for a successor to take on the role of Gym Leader here. So my Gym mission serves as an audition of sorts, too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not going to have to sing or dance, or anything of that sort, right?” Kiyuki voiced her earlier thought, mildly worried now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal smiled. “Oh, don’t worry. Nothing of that sort. It’s simple enough. All you need to do is battle my Trainers and answer the questions they ask along the way. Think carefully before answering, though, child. If you get the wrong answer, the stats of your Pokémon will get lowered. Oh, but if you answer correctly, your Pokémon will get a stat boost. Just think of it as a little Fairy-type Pokémon magic to make things interesting. Now, I want you to go all out. Show me what you can do!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And with that, the Gym mission began. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal’s Gym Mission consisted of battling the Gym Trainers and answering questions. Some were quite easy, like what was super effective against Fairy-types, but others were things that Kiyuki had no idea how she could possibly know. <em>How could I have possibly known what Opal ate for breakfast?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal was already in the middle of the pitch when Kiyuki stepped out of the dark tunnel, leaning against her umbrella with her eyes closed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She opened her eyes once Kiyuki stopped in front of her. “I suppose it’s a bit late to introduce myself, but I’m Opal, the Gym Leader. I’ve gotten a good look at how you handled those quizzes. The last part of the mission is me…Let me have a look at how you and your partner Pokémon behave!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Walking out from the centre to the correct distance for battling, Kiyuki got there before Opal did. It gave her a second to think about what she wanted to send out. She decided she wanted to save Cornelius at full health for when Opal inevitably Gigantamaxed a Fairy-type of some sort, so she grabbed Flicker’s Premier Ball from her belt since he resisted Fairy-type attacks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal sent out a Galarian Weezing, and now Kiyuki was very glad she had led with Flicker. His Ghost-typing would allow him to resist the Poison-type attacks as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That being said, he didn’t have a super effective hit either, but Hex would probably work alright. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright, Flicker. Start with a Will-o-Wisp, then get ready for any attack it might throw at you.” Kiyuki said. The Litwick sent several purple flames spiralling at the Weezing and causing a burn, and it flung a Sludge at him. Flicker tried to use his flames to catch it, but the amorphous blob of poison passed straight through the flames and hit him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker sputtered as the attack connected, but it fortunately did minimal damage and didn’t poison him. Before Kiyuki could call for a Hex to follow up, Opal held up her hand to halt the battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Question!” She called. <em>What? More questions? I thought that was done! </em>“What is my nickname? The Magic-User or The Wizard?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um…” Kiyuki hesitated. She really had no idea, so had to take a wild guess. “The Wizard?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Correct!’ Opal said, and Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief. <em>Phew… </em>Opal waved her hand, raising Flicker’s speed, to Kiyuki’s surprise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now faster than the Weezing, Flicker fired off a quick Hex. It didn’t knock out, but the speed boost allowed Flicker to skirt around the Sludge that the Weezing flung at him again. It splattered on the ground beside him, but Flicker didn’t miss a beat as Kiyuki called out for another Hex to finish it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Weezing spewed another plume of white steam as it went down, and Opal recalled it. She sent out a Mawile in its place, and Kiyuki decided to leave Flicker in. He still had a type advantage, plus the speed boost. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That being said, that Mawile could easily be carrying a Dark-type attack that would easily knock out Flicker. So Kiyuki called out for another Will-o-Wisp, and Flicker sent another burst of small flames at the Mawile to burn it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But even with a burn, the Mawile was still dangerous. And sure enough, it came at Flicker a moment later, opening its jaws and readying a Crunch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Use Fire Spin on the ground!” Kiyuki called, remembering that this had worked before when she was battling Bede in Stow-on-Side. Flicker directed the attack at the ground in front of him, then stepped into the tornado as the Mawile closed in. The vortex lifted him up and out of harm’s way. The Mawile’s jaws closed on the fire instead, and it recoiled with a shriek. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hex!” Kiyuki yelled, and Flicker let himself drop back to the ground. He took advantage of the Mawile’s burn, slamming a boosted Hex into it while it was still trying to recover from getting a mouthful of fire. The Hex didn’t finish it off immediately, but the burn did. The crowd yelled and cheered as Opal recalled the defeated Mawile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unfortunately, her next Pokémon was a Togekiss. <em>That thing has way too much Special Defence for Flicker to deal with. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It didn’t make sense for him to stay in and chip away at it, so Kiyuki recalled him and sent out Hylla in his place. Although now she was seriously wishing she had a better Rock-type attack then Rock Blast. Better than nothing though. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Question!” Opal called out again, and Kiyuki looked up. “What is my favourite colour? Pink or purple?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Well, that’s easy. </em>“Pink!” Kiyuki said confidently, but Opal shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I do like pink, but mostly on others. A nice, deep purple though… Truly grand, don’t you think?” Opal smiled, waving her hand again. This time inflicting a serious defence and special defence drop on Hylla. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki swore under her breath, praying that Togekiss didn’t have anything super effective on Hylla, otherwise that would certainly her knock out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was faster too, shooting an Air Slash at Hylla. She hissed when it connected, coiling up and spiting up a sandstorm that battered the Togekiss in response. Kiyuki saw Opal raise a hand, but she was just shielding her eyes from the sand instead of asking another question. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sandstorm also served to hide Hylla, since her colouration matched the swirling sands. The Togekiss’ next Air Slash missed, slicing at the ground a considerable distance away from Hylla. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>It can’t see Hylla, but it will as soon as she attacks. She can’t take another Air Slash either, so she going to need to attack and move quickly out of the way. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, Hylla. Keep this storm up, and use Rock Blast! And keep moving!” Kiyuki called, raising her hand to her face to flick away a piece of her hair that had blown across her face. She heard Hylla hiss over the winds of the storm. Opal’s Togekiss shot an Ancient Power where the hiss came from, but Hylla had already moved and the attack cracked harmlessly against the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Several small rocks flew out of the storm and slammed into the Togekiss, hitting it several times. In return, the Togekiss sent another Air Slash towards where the rocks came from, but it missed again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla repeated the move 3 more times, missing a couple times, but the Togekiss was still fighting when the Sandstorm finally dissipated. Opal called for a Draining Kiss, and the Togekiss dropped down and swooped in to attack Hylla. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Not so fast… </em>“Hylla, Rock Blast again!” Kiyuki yelled, and Hylla shot another volley of rocks point-blank at the Togekiss, knocking it out before it could land its attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes! Great job, Hylla!” Kiyuki yelled, and the Sandaconda gave a little hiss in response, flicking her tongue at Opal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My morning tea is finally kicking in, and not a moment too soon! Are you prepared? I’m going to have some fun with this,” Opal called from across the field as the crowd starting singing, sending out her final Pokémon. Alcremie. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki returned Hylla to her Ball and sent out Cornelius, like she had planned. He squawked once before landing on the ground, staring down the Alcremie with his wings outstretched. Alcremie looked incredibly small next to the Corviknight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal Gigantamaxed her Alcremie, almost dropping the Dynamax ball from its weight. Gigantamax Alcremie was a massive, multi-tiered cake, all different colours and covered in decorations. Now it stared down at Cornelius from the top of its cake, readying an attack.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki Dynamaxed Cornelius in response. The wingbeats of the gigantic Corviknight whipped up even more of a whirlwind than what he did against Kabu, back when he was a Corvisquire. And now with his new Steel-typing and Steel Wing, he was in a good spot to knock out the Alcremie. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You lack pink! Here, let us give you some.” Opal called, and Alcremie used G-Max Finale, splattering Cornelius with icing. His returned the hit with a Max Steelspike, which didn’t quite knock Alcremie out. But he easily survived the second G-Max Finale and knocked out the Alcremie with a second Max Steelspike. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Alcremie’s cry rang out as it shrunk down to its normal size again in a burst of fire. Kiyuki watched Cornelius return to his normal size as well, landing on the ground next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal nearly dropped her umbrella when Alcremie went down, looking very surprised. But she just crossed her hands in front of her and smiled at Kiyuki, before meeting her in the centre of the pitch again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, good try,” Opal said. “Not bad, not bad at all. You’re an excellent Trainer, but still not what I’m looking for… And a considerable lack of pink…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki just shrugged, not remotely upset that she wasn’t chosen as the next Gym Leader. <em>Pink’s not really my colour, anyways.</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, don’t worry yourself about it, child. It’s just a matter of my preference. I’ll find the next Gym Leader elsewhere. In fact, I’ve already got an idea about where to look. Too bad about the audition, but here’s a Fairy Badge for your efforts,” Opal added, pulling the Badge seemingly from thin air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Huh… more Fairy-type magic? Nah, I must’ve just blinked. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki shook her hand, before clicking the Fairy Badge into her Badge Ring. Opal gave her a TM for Draining Kiss and a Fairy-type Gym uniform as well. “Of course it’s not good to neglect your elders, but old folk like me should also know when it’s time to step out of the spotlight,” she said, before turning and walking off the pitch. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ballonea is without a doubt one of the most beautiful locations I have ever seen in any video game. Maybe not the absolute most beautiful, but certainly up there on that list.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Dusk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second chapter today. This chapter was one of the first ones I had planned when I first came up with the idea for this fic, and it was one of my favourites to write. It's a little longer than usual, but I couldn't wait to share it with you guys! So I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was stopped by Opal again as soon as she stepped outside the Stadium, about to pull out her phone to message Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold on now,” Opal said, “I’ve got a few errands to run in Hammerlocke. Care to join me for the journey? If you’re headed for the next Gym Stadium, you’ll need to get to Hammerlocke, too, after all. And two’s company, is it not?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“With pleasure!” Kiyuki replied with a smile. She would have to text Hop later. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They went back through the Glimwood Tangle, chatting about different topics. Everything from what Pokémon Kiyuki liked, to different types of tea, to Opal’s search for the next Ballonlea Gym Leader. When they passed the vault in Hammerlocke, Opal was recommending several different pastries for Kiyuki to try, although she had no idea how that topic came up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hammerlocke—always such a dusty town. Though I suppose some Pokémon prefer it that way,” Opal commented. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I like it here, actually. Just being around all the history, you know?” Kiyuki answered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Opal decided to stop at the Pokémon Centre, so Kiyuki said farewell and headed forward to the centre of the town, towards the Stadium. Circhester and the next Gym were to the right of Hammerlocke according to her map, but she wanted to go train in the Wild Area first. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She needed to find the last member of her team too, but she didn’t quite know what she wanted. All she knew was that she wanted a Dragon-type, and she really needed some sort of Electric-type attack. Dragonite and Salamence weren’t found in Galar, and Noivern, Dragapult, Flygon, Kommo-o, and Duraludon all had different reasons why they wouldn’t work. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Maybe she was just being picky, or just knew what she was looking for. Much like Opal and her search for a successor. Kiyuki started to once again debate between a Goodra and a Hydreigon as she walked towards the centre of town.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t get past the Stadium, however. Bede was there, staring up at the castle-like towers of the Stadium. Kiyuki tried to go around him, but he turned as soon as he heard her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come to gawk at me now that I’ve had my Challenge Band taken away and my Gym Challenger status revoked? Can you really afford to waste time like this?” He snapped at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No. I never thought anything like that would happen. Never imagined it would end like that. I thought it would end when we faced each other in an official battle in the Finals of the Gym Challenge,” Kiyuki replied, meeting his gaze. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He huffed, “you know, I thought that too. I was going to hold off until I could crush you in an official battle at the end. Well, you no longer have to worry about catching up with me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He continued before Kiyuki could reply. “I’ll have you know, though, that I haven’t given up! I must become the Champion in order to help out the chairman! I will go and ask him to let me rejoin the Gym Challenge!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s a good idea. I wish you luck then, maybe I’ll still see you in the Finals.” Kiyuki smiled slightly at him, but he was looking at something else now behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turns out, it was Opal. Kiyuki heard her say something about pink and she turned. Opal was looking at Bede with an extremely excited expression on her face. “Time for my Gym mission, child!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bede tried to protest, but Opal literally ran at him as he froze. “Pink!” She exclaimed, “congratulations, child!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“M-Ms. Opal? What in the world has gotten into you?!” Bede sputtered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were used by Oleana—am I right? You worked hard to gather Wishing Stars for her, only to have her throw you away like rubbish once she was done with you…” Opal said. “Come with me, child. I might be able to help you out. Of course, it all depends on how much hard work you’re willing to put in, too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you…Are you testing me?” Bede asked, sounding somewhat wary and somewhat smug. “Very well, I accept! In fact, I plan on making sure you see my full talents and tell me everything you know about the Wishing Stars!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Farewell for now, child. You should head to Circhester. I take it you know how to get to Route 7,” Opal said to Kiyuki, turning and heading back the way they came from. Bede flashed Kiyuki a smug look again, before following Opal down the street. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Huh… Well that was a turn of events I didn’t expect… </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She started to head out to the Wild Area, but stopped. She swung her backpack in front of her,deciding to make sure she was well stocked for Potions and Pokéballs, since she had used some in Ballonlea. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Hmm… I’m a little low on Super Potions, and I think I might be able to buy Ultra Balls now. </em>Turning on her heel, she went to the nearby Pokémon Centre instead. She was right, she was able to buy Ultra Balls now, and she purchased a few dozen, as well as some Hyper Potions. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Also, do you happen to know if there’s any Pokémarts that sell Dusk Stones?” Kiyuki asked the shopkeeper. She had remembered this morning that once Flicker evolved into a Lampent, he would need a Dusk Stone to evolve again. Might as well ask before she forgot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, sorry. No Pokémarts carry any evolutionary stone as far as I know. But I believe the market in Stow-on-Side gets them every now and then,” the shopkeeper replied, packing her purchase into a bag and passing it to her. Kiyuki didn’t really want to go back to Stow-on-Side, so she thanked the shopkeeper and went to leave the Pokémon Centre. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could though, she was stopped by a Hiker. “Excuse me, but did you say you were looking for a Dusk Stone?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did, yes. Are you selling them?” Kiyuki asked, but the Hiker shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t have any, no. But I do know where to find them. If you go out to the Wild Area and immediately go right, you’ll see an island along the cliff surrounded by water. That’s the Lake of Outrage, and there’s some mysterious stones there that seem to summon evolutionary stones every few days, no matter how many times Trainers pick them up.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, perfect! Thank you!” Kiyuki smiled at him, but he held up his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Be careful though, that island is full of powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. There’s a reason its named after one of the most powerful Dragon-type attacks, after all,” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Dragon-types? Even better! Maybe I can find a Hydreigon or a Goodra!</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll be careful,” Kiyuki smiled, “thank you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki reached the lake that the Hiker had described relatively quickly. She was at the top of the cliff, and only now just realizing she had no way to cross the water. None of her Pokémon knew Surf. Unless she could fly over there. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She let Cornelius out of his Ball, and he flew up and did a small loop through the air. He hovered in place as he looked around, seemingly surprised to see nothing to battle. Kiyuki studied him. He was certainly big enough to carry her, so this might work. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Cornelius. Sorry to wake you up, but do you think you can carry me over there?” She asked, pointing at the island. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He squawked, as if to say “of course,” and landed so she could climb onto his back. He took off and Kiyuki hung on to his neck for dear life as he easily carried her over the water. Kiyuki squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look at the water below and focusing on the feeling of the wind as she flew.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She opened her eyes again as they reached dry land, but Kiyuki didn’t even a chance to look around for the stones that the Hiker mentioned. A powerful sandstorm suddenly came out of nowhere and completely engulfed them, far more powerful than Hylla’s sandstorms. Cornelius struggled against the winds, hovering in place as Kiyuki tried to get a sense of what was going on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A quick change in the wind’s direction and the sound of wingbeats told her they weren’t alone in this storm. And the wingbeats certainly did not sound like Cornelius. She looked around, wondering if it would come back, but seeing nothing but sand in all directions. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A dark shadow appearing in front of her gave her an answer. “Dive!” She yelled at Cornelius, and the Corviknight tucked in his wings and rocketed towards the ground. She felt something large and heavy pass over her head, missing her, but still much closer that Kiyuki would’ve liked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This was a bad idea, Cornelius, we need to get out of here…” Kiyuki yelled over the wind. The dark shadow came back from the side this time, speeding towards them. “Watch out!” She yelled, but whatever it was managed to clip the tip of Cornelius’ wing just as Kiyuki caught a glimpse of something green. The hit sent him careening out of control and crashing into the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki got thrown off Cornelius when he crashed, sending her sprawling onto the hard dirt. The impact knocked the wind out of her and left her gasping for breath. She coughed, lifting her head to see if the dark shadow would come back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And it did, the shadow appearing out of the storm. It became less of a shadow and more of a shape as it materialized out of the sand, silhouetted against the sunlight filtering through the storm. <em>A Flygon… </em>She realized, but there wasn’t time to get Nimbus out of her ball. She quickly brought her arms up to cover her head, as if that would do anything, and the sudden movement caused her to cough again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait! Flygon, stop! That’s not a wild Corviknight!” Another voice yelled, and the Flygon pulled up from where it was about to hit her with its tail. It flew off, disappearing back into the storm.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki let out a breath in relief. It wasn’t a wild Flygon, but why was there another Trainer here?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sandstorm disappeared too, but Kiyuki stayed lying down to catch her breath. She just lifted her head to check on Cornelius, relieved to see that he was mostly unharmed. Just a little dusty. He had just gotten back to his feet and was trying to shake the sand out of his feathers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am so sorry! Are you all right?” The voice of the Trainer came from behind her, and she turned her head to look, wondering why that voice sounded so familiar. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turns out, it was Raihan. “Wha—? Kiyuki?! What are you doing here?” He exclaimed, jogging up to her still in the dirt. The Flygon apparently was his, and had now landed on the ground beside him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could reply, Cornelius landed beside her and stood protectively over her, furiously squawking at Raihan with his wings outstretched. “Cornelius, no! It’s ok, I’m not hurt!” Kiyuki wheezed, trying to stop the Corviknight from attacking Raihan, who had stopped a few feet away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Corviknight squawked again, but folded his wings and bent down to nudge Kiyuki with his beak. She reassured Cornelius once again that she was fine, managing to sit up at least now that she wasn’t gasping for breath anymore. “Sorry,” she told Raihan, who hadn’t moved and was still just staring at her in disbelief. “He can be a little protective sometimes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you apologizing for?! I just knocked you out of the sky thinking you were a wild Corviknight! Are you sure you’re all right?” He asked as he stepped closer, looking worried. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, I’m fine. Just dusty,” she smiled. Raihan stuck out a hand to help her up, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing here, anyways?” He asked as she was brushing herself off. Luckily, it didn’t seem like she had hurt an ankle or anything of that sort. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Looking for a Dusk Stone?” Kiyuki weakly offered, and Raihan raised an eyebrow at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A Dusk Stone. You came all the way out here, for a Dusk Stone. You know you can buy them at the Stow-on-Side market, right?” Raihan repeated, looking at her in disbelief. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A Hiker in the Hammerlocke Pokémon Centre told me they were here!” Kiyuki protested. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And did said Hiker warn you about the powerful Pokémon here?” Raihan asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you came anyways?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes!” Kiyuki retorted, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head and laughing. “That sounds like something I would do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Are they here or are they not?” Kiyuki shot back.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, they are. Over under those stones there. But I’m skeptical that you would come out here only for a Dusk Stone.” Raihan said, smirking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki sighed. “Fine, I was also looking for some sort of Dragon-type for the last member of my team. And the Hiker also said there were powerful Dragon-types here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you looking for?” Raihan asked as he motioned for Kiyuki to follow him to the stones he said the Dusk Stone was under. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I haven’t fully decided yet. Want the short explanation or the long one?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Might as well go with the long one,” Raihan replied, shooting a smirk at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright, well, Noivern has the same typing as Nimbus, so that won’t work. I already have too many physical attackers, so Haxorus, Flygon, Flapple, and Kommo-o won’t work. I like Dragapult, but I’ve already got two Ghost-types. Same with Duraludon, I’ve already got a Steel-type,” she said, trying to explain her thought process. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan stayed silent for a moment when they reached the stones, thinking. “What you think about a Goodra?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A Goodra would be pretty much perfect, honestly. I was just thinking about that this morning, actually. But I don’t know where to find one,” Kiyuki replied, glancing up at him. He had a small smile on his face, and looked like he had an idea. Kiyuki was mildly concerned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tell you what. Go find your Dusk Stone, I’ll be right back,” he said. “And don’t go into the grass,” he added, pointing a finger at her before he jogged back towards the tip of the island over the lake. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki started checking under the stones, finding a Thunder Stone, a Dawn Stone and a Water Stone. Under the fourth rock, she finally found the dark purple Dusk Stone she was looking for, and shoved it into her backpack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan still wasn’t back yet, so Kiyuki watched Cornelius and Flygon for a moment. They almost looked like they were talking to each other. Flygon buzzed at Cornelius, who tilted his head and squawked in return. He flapped his wings once, enough to lift him off the ground for a moment before he landed again. Flygon buzzed again before mirroring Cornelius. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Footsteps alerted Kiyuki to Raihan coming back from the tip of the island, this time with a blue and orange bag slung over his shoulder. “You know, funny how you should mention that you were looking for a Goodra. Weird coincidence that I happen to have an extra Goomy egg that needs a home,” he said, pulling an egg out of the bag. “Kind of an uncanny coincidence, actually…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, what? Actually? Do you normally walk around with Goomy eggs?” She asked, laughing a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan laughed. “Not usually, no. One of my Gym Trainers was wanting one, and I got an extra egg. I thought about offering it to another one of the Gym Trainers, but it’s yours if you want it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ll seriously let me?” Kiyuki asked, feeling like she should double check that he wasn’t messing with her. It was certainly a huge surprise to her, but not necessarily an unwelcome one. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well I wouldn’t be offering if I wasn’t serious, now would I? Just… ah… maybe don’t tell anyone I gave it to you. Just say you caught it here.” He smirked at her, holding the egg out for her to take. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, seriously. Looks like I owe you another one.” Kiyuki smiled. The egg didn’t feel like it was about to hatch anytime soon, but there was plenty of time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan waved her off, smirking again. “No you don’t. You caught it here, remember? Goomy and Sliggoo are actually found here, but they only come out during the rain. And they’re just really rare anyways.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right,” she laughed. <em>Rain… I should’ve expected that. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you,” he continued, “need to go back to Hammerlocke so you can go to Circhester. And I’m going with you to make sure you don’t take any detours.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, don’t worry about that. I won’t get lost. Don’t cut your…whatever you were doing here short on my account,” Kiyuki said, but Raihan shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m pretty much done my training anyways. And I know you won’t get lost, I just don’t trust you not to go off on some other side adventure,” he smirked at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, turning to where Cornelius was just a few minutes ago. He was gone, and so was Flygon. “Um… where did they go?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She soon got her answer as a black metallic feather drifted down in front of her, and she craned her neck to look up. Cornelius and Flygon were flying way above them, looping through the air and chasing each other around. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Cornelius!” Kiyuki yelled up at them, waving her arms. Raihan was doing the same, but neither one of their Pokémon seemed to hear them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Huh… that’s a problem,” Raihan said, still staring up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve got it,” Kiyuki grinned at him, before letting Nimbus out of her Ball. Raihan smiled at seeing the Altaria, who hummed a few notes and flew over to him. His smile widened as Nimbus floated around him, and Kiyuki watched them for a moment. But then she realized exactly what she was doing and snapped herself out of her thoughts, feeling her face heat up yet again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, Nimbus. Can you fly up there and get those two?” She said, pointing up. “They’re our only way out of here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus hummed, before soaring up. Cornelius and Flygon stopped chasing each other when she came up, and the three hovered in the air for a moment. Eventually, Cornelius and Flygon came back down, followed by Nimbus. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I bloody love that Altaria,” Raihan said, and Kiyuki grinned at him as she returned Nimbus to her Ball. “Let’s get going. And no detours!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki quickly double checked that she still had her Dusk Stone and that the Egg was tucked safely in her bag. She climbed back onto Cornelius’ back, and he took off back towards Hammerlocke. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter. I had a busy day yesterday, and decided to wait and actually post something somewhat decent instead of something edited at 2 am.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius flew over the castle walls of Hammerlocke, following the street until Kiyuki noticed a familiar head of red hair below. “Sonia!” She called, urging Cornelius down to land next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Heya! The Badge collecting going well? Why are you all dusty?” Sonia grinned at her as she dismounted and returned Cornelius to his Ball. But she rose an eyebrow as soon as Raihan landed beside Kiyuki a moment later. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This one,” he said, jerking his thumb at Kiyuki, “flew her Corviknight to the Lake of Outrage to look for a bloody Dusk Stone.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you knocked me out of sky, which is why I’m dusty,” Kiyuki shot back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was an accident!” Raihan protested, holding up his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold up, start over. What’s going on here?” Sonia said, just looking more confused now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki let Raihan tell the story, not surprised that he left out the part with the Goomy egg. By the end, Sonia was nearly doubled over from laughing so hard. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s something I can totally see Raihan doing. You two really are lot alike,” she laughed, then shot Raihan a smirk. “Ya know, he did actually do something similar when his Flygon first evolved. Except he fell off while flying and landed in the lake. Then Nessa had to save him from being eaten by Gyarados.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed at Raihan’s expression. “Wha—No! All right, yes, I fell off Flygon but you’re totally making up that part with the Gyarados!” He sputtered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm… Nope! It definitely happened. I’ll ask Nessa right now,” Sonia grinned, pulling out her phone and typing a message. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then how about the time you ‘accidentally’ bumped into Leon’s tent in the Wild Area and sent it rolling down the hill with him inside?” Raihan smirked back at her, and Kiyuki laughed again when Sonia blushed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That was the wind! I didn’t bump into it! Not my fault he set his tent up at the top of a hill and didn’t pitch it properly!” Sonia tried to defend herself. “And stop laughing, Kiyuki!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, no. I’m quite enjoying myself. Please continue,” Kiyuki smirked at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve got plenty more stories about her and Leon, let’s see… what’s a good one…” Raihan said,shooting Sonia another smirk. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope!” Sonia exclaimed, looping her arm around Kiyuki’s and pulling her away in the direction of the train station. “We’re going to Circhester before he can make up anymore embarrassing stories.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, turning her head and using her free hand to wave back at Raihan. “Bye, Raihan! Thanks for the help!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could’ve sworn she saw him wink as he waved back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve been doing some research on the ruins in Stow-on-Side…” Sonia said beside her, catching Kiyuki’s attention. “The sword and shield… I think the sword was definitely the wolf you saw in the Slumbering Weald. But then where’s the other one, the shield? I still have so many questions, I was thinking about taking another look at the tapestries in—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t finish her thought, getting cut off by a huge explosion behind them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you kidding me?! What was that?!” Sonia exclaimed, releasing Kiyuki’s arm. They waited in silence for a moment, seeing if another one would come, but all stayed quiet. “Hammerlocke Stadium shook… That’s where Chairman’s Rose’s power plant is…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Explosions and power plants are never a good combination, Sonia. What if someone got hurt!” Kiyuki said, shielding her eyes from the sunlight to get a better look at the Stadium. There wasn’t any smoke or fire, so that was a good sign. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia’s phone suddenly beeped, and she pulled it out. “Huh? A Power Spot?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, you mean, like where you can Dynamax? Isn’t there already one under the Stadium? Did it move?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia shook her head. “It’s still there, but just got much bigger. It’s covering the whole city now! Does that mean Dynamaxing is possible here?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki held out her arm with her Dynamax band for Sonia to look. It was glowing like it always did during a Gym battle, a sure sign Dynamaxing was possible. Sonia noticed it too, her breath catching in her throat and her eyes widening. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Sonia! And Kiyuki, too! You felt the shaking, right?” They both turned, seeing Leon running up. “Seems Chairman Rose is testing something again.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is bad! Pokémon might start Dynamaxing right in the middle of Hammerlocke!” Sonia said, showing Leon the Power Spot readings on her phone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! That’s really not good. I can make sure the chairman knows.” Leon offered. <em>He’s surprisingly calm despite all this…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ll just get lost, Leon. I’m going, too!” Sonia told him, placing her hands on her hips before turning back to Kiyuki. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you compete in the Finals. So you should leave the investigation on the quaking to the adults. Head to Circhester and get that Gym Badge!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! No! I’m not a child, I can help!” Kiyuki protested. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon shook his head. “We can handle it, don’t let this disturb your Gym Challenge. Best of luck!” He said, before he and Sonia ran off towards the Stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched them go, feeling rather useless. <em>Let the adults handle it… Hah…I can handle myself, thank you very much. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A second later, Kiyuki heard someone calling her name behind her. Hop was coming out of the train station, waving at her. Kiyuki waved back, turning her back on the Stadium and meeting him in front of the station. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“First that forest, then that mad quiz…I’ve been lost in every sense of the word! But it looks like I’ve finally caught up to you again. Why are you covered in dust?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, explaining what had happened at the Lake of Outrage. Hop was laughing just as hard as Sonia was by the end. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s quite the story, mate! Come with me to Route 7! I could use a bit of competition to motivate me!” He grinned at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“With pleasure! I could use a good battle right about now, too!” Kiyuki grinned back at him, before chasing after him to Route 7. Maybe a battle was exactly what she needed to not feel quite as useless. Hop came to a stop at the end of the drawbridge right before it gave way to solid ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned and gave her a grin, more and more like his usual self. “All right, Kiyuki! You and I both know I’ve got to keep on trying different strategies if I’m gonna get strong enough to catch up to Lee… No! Not just catch up! If I want to surpass him! So let me try out my latest in a battle against you!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s go, then! I’ve been building my team too!” Kiyuki replied, bringing out Flicker to start. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop had another new Pokémon with him, a Trevenant. “Time for me to test exactly how far I can go with my latest and greatest team!” He called, using Confuse Ray on Flicker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Break through the confusion, Flicker, and Will-o-Wisp!” Kiyuki called. Flicker managed to shake off the confusion completely, and sent the small spiralling flames at the Trevenant to burn it. Despite the burn, it still came at Flicker with a Shadow Claw. But the Litwick quickly countered with a Hex to knock it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The way you battle…” Hop said as he recalled his Trevenant, “you know, it kind of reminds of Lee!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>That’s high praise. </em>But Kiyuki felt like her battling style wasn’t quite like the Champion’s, even though she had only seen one battle. She wondered what made Hop think that, but decided not to question it further and returned his compliment with a smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s next Pokémon was Heatmor, so Kiyuki recalled Flicker and sent out Hylla in his place. Heatmor attacked with Fire Lash, but the attack did little to Hylla. She started up another sandstorm in response, and only now did Kiyuki realize that her sandstorms weren’t very strong at all, especially compared to Raihan’s.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Kiyuki shook the thought out of her head, promising herself they’d work on that later. Getting distracted now would do no good. She called for a Dig from Hylla, and the Sandaconda hissed before burrowing under the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Heatmor was unable to do anything besides shift slowly around. It got battered by the sandstorm, waiting for Hylla to emerge. She attacked a moment later, instantly knocking out the Heatmor. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla also managed to knock out Hop’s Boltund and his Snorlax, although the Snorlax took her much longer. Hop was down to his last Pokémon, and Kiyuki wondered if he had brought his Corvisquire or his Wooloo back. But he still had his Eevee, expect that it had evolved. That being said, it had evolved into a form Kiyuki hadn’t expected at all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Umbreon, huh? I was guessing you’d go for a Vaporeon!” Kiyuki called to him, and he smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This just… seemed like the right choice, you know?” Hop replied, surprising Kiyuki when she noticed him blushing a little bit. <em>The right choice? What does that mean…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He called for a Snarl from his Umbreon, which battered Hylla and lowered her special attack. She restarted the dwindling sandstorm, and Kiyuki called for a Bulldoze. Umbreon growled as the ground shook beneath it, but the rings on its legs and tail glowed as it retaliated with another Snarl. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla hissed again as the attack connected. Kiyuki called for a Glare, and managed to paralyze the Umbreon. But it growled again and glared at Hylla in return, causing the same electricity to crackle over her as well. <em>Synchronize… forgot about that…</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There wasn’t much else Hylla could do, so Kiyuki switched her out and brought in Cornelius. While she was switching out, Umbreon went for a Moonlight to heal itself from any damage Hylla had done. The sandstorm managed to block much of the light and limited the healing, but Cornelius was essentially back at square one. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for a Body Press from Cornelius. He dropped down on the Umbreon, who jumped to the side and growled at Cornelius. It glowed again and went for a Snarl, but Cornelius just shrugged the attack off and hit the Umbreon with another Body Press. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Umbreon danced around in the weakening sandstorm, then launched a Payback at Cornelius. The Corviknight flew up and dodged it, then dropped back down. Umbreon tried to dodge to the side again, so Cornelius changed the course of his dive at the last moment at Kiyuki’s command, landing the Body Press. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sandstorm finally dissipated, and Hop called for another Moonlight. A small glowing moon appeared above the battlefield, this time without the sandstorm blocking any of its light. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The last thing Kiyuki wanted was for Umbreon to heal itself, especially when one more Body Press would probably knock it out. But Cornelius’ dark feathers gave her an idea. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fly between Umbreon and the moon, Cornelius! Block out the light so it can’t heal itself!” Kiyuki yelled, and Cornelius squawked in response. He flew right below the moon and hovered there, keeping his wings outstretched as much as possible. His shadow covered the Umbreon, stopping it from healing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Umbreon went for a Snarl to try and get Cornelius out of the way. He just shrugged off the attack and stayed in the air until the moon disappeared, then Kiyuki called for another Body Press. Cornelius tucked his wings in and attacked, finally knocking out Umbreon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop sighed, pulling his defeated Umbreon back into its Ball. “This is rubbish…My team can’t perform if I can’t get my own head straight as their Trainer…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hop…” Kiyuki started to say as she returned Cornelius to his Ball as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Before we ever started out on this journey…” He said, stepping forward to the edge of the bridge. He stared out in the direction of the Wild Area, placing his hands behind his head. “I remember watching Lee on the telly. He was like a bright star, so strong I could hardly bear to look right at him. But now, I can tell just how strong he really is… And what he’s got that I haven’t…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Time, Hop. He’s had more time to get to where he is now,” Kiyuki added quietly, stepping forward to stand beside him. Hop turned his head to look at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded. “I know, you’re right. But I’m getting stronger, too. Maybe not as fast as you, but fine. Whatever! Thanks for letting me battle with you again. I think I know what it is I really want… I want to battle Lee—I want to take on my bro. But not just that, I want to beat him! I want to be the one who beats the unbeatable Champion! And I’m going to! My mind’s made up! You and me are going to have another battle once I get my Gym Badge in Circhester!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Deal! I’ll meet you there!” Kiyuki smiled at him, watching him run off again. She stayed on the bridge for a few minutes more, his words ringing in her head, about what he really wanted. <em>What do I really want? </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Months ago, that question would’ve been easy to answer. Get strong enough here to go back to Hoenn for revenge. But now… she found herself starting to doubt that, glancing back at Hammerlocke. She never imagined she could actually be this strong, be this good at Pokémon battling. She didn’t know how she had never lost a battle, while Hop couldn’t seem to get out of his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And was there really anything to go back to? She had friends here. Hop, Marnie, Sonia, maybe even Raihan. But Hoenn… Even though she had grown up there, she had no friends. Maybe she could’ve called the boy that had lived a few houses down a friend, but Kiyuki couldn’t even remember his name right now. And her father was dead, buried on Mt. Pyre alongside Bagon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>No… don’t think of that. Just keep going forward. Don’t back down. </em>Kiyuki told herself, breaking her gaze away from Hammerlocke and heading to Route 7. It was surprisingly short, nothing but a few Trainers and patches of grass. There was a tunnel up ahead, and Kiyuki’s map confirmed that was where she was supposed to go. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Which was great, except that there were about ten Perrserker between her and that tunnel. They were all rummaging around in the grass, mostly facing away from her. She kept her steps slow and light, hoping that she could get through without alerting them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She made it past the first two, but the third one turned around. It snarled at her, drawing the attention of the rest of the Perrserker horde. Kiyuki swore under her breath. And the Perrserker were blocking the path to the tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh come on! Go away!” She yelled, breaking into run to try and escape the horde. She led them around in a few circles, trying to draw them away from the tunnel. It took a few circles before an opening to the tunnel appeared through the horde, and Kiyuki made a run for it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The little bearded cats were fast, but Kiyuki, fortunately, was faster. They didn’t follow her through the tunnel either, instead just staying on the outside and snarling at her some more. Pausing to catch her breath, Kiyuki pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the Perrserker horde on the other side of the tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sent it to Sonia, having gotten her number back in Stow-on-Side. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Well, this is my life now. Did you find out anything about the explosion in Hammerlocke?</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia’s reply came a moment later. <em>Lol. And no. Chairman Rose was doing something, but he won’t say. The Power Spot seems to have shrunk back to its normal size, so that’s good news. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki: <em>You know, I’m starting to wonder if the Chairman is up to something. What is he doing with all those Wishing Stars? </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia: <em>Not a clue. Where are you now?</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki: <em>Route 8, I think. Catching my breath after running for my life. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia: <em>Lol. You’ll live. Btw, Nessa says the thing with the Gyarados totally happened. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki: <em>Haha! Make sure you tell Raihan.</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia: <em>I did. Still didn’t believe me. Anyways, I’ll see you soon in Circhester, K? </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki: <em>See you later, Sonia. </em></span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Crack</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Route 8 was a dry maze of ruined structures and stairs, although it wasn’t as hot as Route 6. It was still dusty and windy, especially when Kiyuki was on top of one of the stone structures.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am getting very sick of constantly being covered in dust…” Kiyuki muttered to herself as she descended another ladder out of the wind, trying futilely to brush herself off. Nimbus was flying alongside her, and was also extremely unimpressed at her wings getting dusty. Yet, she refused to go back into her Ball when Kiyuki offered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat down on a ledge out of the wind, out of the sight of the Gurdurr and Rufflet that kept chasing her. She would still rather those chasing her than that horde of Perrserker, however. They also gave Nimbus plenty of chances to practice her newly learned Dragon Pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was just taking a big gulp of water and was offering some to Nimbus, when she heard a small chipping noise coming from her bag. A louder crack followed. She flipped open the top of her backpack, where the egg Raihan had given her was safely stored. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But now it was shaking, and cracks were spreading across the surface. <em>Huh, I guess being chased by those Perrserker gave it the extra distance it needed to hatch. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It stopped shaking when Kiyuki pulled it out of her bag, holding it in her lap. Now she was very glad that she was out of the wind here. Nimbus gently tapped on it with her beak, and Kiyuki heard a little sound come from inside. The egg shook some more, until it eventually cracked all the way through and the shell fell apart in pieces. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Goomy still had a piece of eggshell stuck on its head, which Nimbus gently picked up with her beak and dropped on the ground. “Hello there,” Kiyuki smiled at the little dragon, who looked up at her and opened her mouth to match Kiyuki’s smile, making a small happy noise. <em>Aww, so cute. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She made another little sound at Nimbus, who was picking another piece of eggshell offGoomy. Nimbus hummed at her, gently nudging her with her head. Kiyuki couldn’t resist taking a photo of the two together. She thought about asking Sonia to send it to Raihan, but then remembered that for now, the Goomy was a secret between them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, she would be until Kiyuki made it to his Gym at least. By then, her accessing the Lake of Outrage wouldn’t be totally unreasonable. So, she could go with the story that she caught her there. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Being a secret though wouldn’t stop Kiyuki from giving her a name like she had done for the rest of her team. She had Nimbus, Cornelius, Flicker, Hallow, Hylla, and… “Sacha. What do you think of that?” Kiyuki asked the Goomy, who gave her a smile that Kiyuki took as a yes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sacha would have a long ways to go to catch up to the rest of her team, but the rest of Route 8was full of good Pokémon to train against. They were much too strong for her to fight, but some of the experience the rest of her team earned would go to her. That would suffice for now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki returned her to the Ultra Ball she had hatched with, continuing forward through the maze of ladders and ruins. It wasn’t the easiest place to navigate, but it certainly wasn’t the Glimwood Tangle. That place was flat out impossible. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Route 8 was full of hidden items too. She found a Shiny Stone, a King’s Rock, some treasures, and TMs for Brick Break and Smart Strike. Unfortunately, none of her Pokémon could learn either move, so they weren’t much good. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One thing Kiyuki was not prepared for, however, was the blast of icy wind that hit her as soon as she emerged from the tunnel out of Route 8. Nimbus squawked beside her, and Kiyuki quickly returned her to her Ball, bringing out Flicker instead. She picked him up, since he still couldn’t move very fast. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had to be close to evolving though. There weren’t any physical signs on him that he was about to, like with the colour changes she had seen with Cornelius and Hylla. She just had a hunch that he was about to evolve. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Litwick didn’t do much to stave off the chill though. His flame was more ghostly than warm, but Kiyuki couldn’t justify keeping Nimbus out in this weather. Dragons and ice were not a good mix under any circumstance. Well, except for that Dragon and Ice-type Legendary Pokémon from Unova. <em>Kyurem… that’s what it’s called. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Teeth chattering, Kiyuki could see the soft glow of Circhester ahead through the blowing snow. There was just a small bridge over an icy river and a few patches of grass between her and the town. The bridge was equally icy, and she nearly slipped on the slick stones before regaining her balance with a sigh of relief. Falling into that extremely cold-looking water was the last thing she needed right now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Stepping off though, she was immediately attacked by a Sneasel and a Vanillish. Kiyuki put Flicker down on the ground, although the the only Fire-type attack he knew at this point was Inferno. He managed to land the hit on the Sneasel, which immediately knocked it out. But he missed the next two Inferno on the Vanillish, before Kiyuki opted for a Shadow Ball instead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker started to glow upon defeating the Vanillish, becoming engulfed in the familiar blue light of evolution. His silhouette lifted up into the air so that he was floating, but his outline drastically changed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When the light dissipated, Flicker floated beside her, twirling around happily. His ghostly purple flame was encased inside his body now, but still wasn’t giving off any heat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, let’s keep going. It’s freezing out here,” she told him, and he gave another twirl before floating along beside her, now that she didn’t have to carry him around anymore. “And you need a better Fire-type attack. Inferno is too inaccurate, we need Flamethrower or something like that. Why don’t we take a taxi to Motostoke after healing up? There’s a TR shop there, and I can grab a couple for Sacha too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The snow turned from a blizzard to a nice, light snowfall once she reached the town. The path changed from frozen dirt to stone roads, but Circhester had a certain beauty to it, despite the cold. She couldn’t see too much from where she was at, but there was what looked like a plaza with a fountain to her right. Something was giving off a lot of steam a little further up, and Kiyuki could see the tip of the Stadium even further up.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another stray breeze caused her to shiver, and she ducked into the Pokémon Centre. Nurse Joy gave a Flicker a wary look as they walked in, but healed her team anyways. Kiyuki suspected it had something to do with the fact that Lampent are feared as emissaries of death, according to her Pokédex. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As much as she would’ve liked to explore Circhester immediately, it was late afternoon now, and she wanted to get to the TR shop in Motostoke before it closed. She made a mental note to explore as soon as she got back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki hailed a Corviknight taxi as she stepped back outside. She probably could’ve just flown Cornelius to Motostoke, but she wanted to let him rest for when she challenged the Gym. Plus, she hasn’t been on the taxi since the day she landed in Galar, so she was incredibly surprised when the cabbie turned out to be the same one that flew her and her mother from the Wyndon airport to Postwick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker hovered above the seat in the cab right beside her during the flight to Motostoke, staring out at the landscape while Kiyuki made small talk with the cabbie. He was extremely excited when she told him that she now had a Corviknight of her own, and 5 Gym Badges. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They landed in Motostoke a while later, and Kiyuki thanked the cabbie as she stepped out of the cab. “Go get your shopping done, I’ll wait here for you!” He called, insisting it was no bother and that he didn’t have any other jobs to do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki quickly found the TR shop, which was fortunately still open. They must have just gotten a shipment in, since the shop was a bit of a mess. The TRs were all mixed up and weren’t sorted by type or anything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a while to sift through them all, but she eventually found the ones she was looking for. Flamethrower and Energy Ball for Flicker, Thunderbolt and Sludge Bomb for Sacha, Swords Dance for Hallow, Iron Head and High Horsepower for Hylla, Dazzling Gleam for Nimbus, and second Iron Head for Cornelius. She would’ve preferred Earthquake for Hylla, but it was way too expensive. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She brought the stack up to the counter, praying that she had enough money to pay for all these. The cashier scanned them all up, and Swords Dance turned out to be on sale, so Kiyuki did have enough. Although just barely. She would need to sell some of the treasures she’s been picking up when she got back to Circhester. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">True to his word, the cabbie was still there when Kiyuki came back. He waved off her apologies for taking so long, and took off back for Circhester as soon as she was settled in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had gotten back to Circhester too late to challenge the Gym, it having already closed for the day. Instead, she had spent the evening exploring Circhester, after first stopping at the Boutique for some warmer clothes, that is. She had picked up a navy blue parka, some warmer gloves, and a scarf that paired with the tuque she had gotten long ago in Wedgehurst. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They helped stave off the chill, enough for her to explore anyways. The town was absolutely beautiful, especially at night when the streetlights cast a warm glow over the streets. The steam she had seen turned out to be coming from a hot spring of sorts, but she had spent most of the evening in the plaza, trying some of the different fire-roasted berries and nuts that some vendors were selling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she was refreshed and ready to go the next morning, having used the TRs to teach her team all the moves that would help them beat this Gym and the next ones. Flicker had opted to evolve again as well, using the Dusk Stone to become a Chandelure. Her little adventure to the Lake of Outrage turned out to be well worth the trip, even though Sacha was not quite strong enough for this Gym battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the looks of it, the Gym here was Rock-type. Or maybe Ground-type. Kiyuki walked into the Stadium, running into Hop on his way out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Arghhh! I lost! It all went to pot! There must’ve been something wrong with my strategy, but I did just what I’ve seen Lee do in battles!” He shook his head. <em>What?! He lost?</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can try again, right?” Kiyuki asked, worried. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop nodded. “As many times as you want! But Lee said a lot of Gym Challengers give up after losing once. But not me! I’ve gotta figure out what to put on my team once and for all, and no more of this doubting!” He smiled, pumping a fist into the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, and here! You should check out the Gym Leader you’ll have to face, too,” he said, handing her Gordie’s League Card. He ran outside after giving her a determined smile and wishing her luck.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Yikes…I’m going to have my work cut out for me if Hop lost. </em>She thought as she crossed the lobby towards the Gym Trainer. What was becoming more noticeable as she progressed through the Gyms was that more and more people knew her name, and people were talking about her as if she was some sort of celebrity. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glanced up at the screen showcasing the remaining Gym Challengers. Kiyuki counted the list, only 21 Challengers were left. Three out of those 21 had the symbol of the Rock Badge next to their names, showing they had cleared the Gym.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki changed back into her uniform, becoming mildly concerned when the Gym Trainer told her to make sure she had the Trap Detector for the Gym Mission. They looked incredibly similar to the Dowsing Machines Kiyuki knew were common in Hoenn. Although she had never used one herself, she had a general idea of how they worked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turns out, she had to use them to navigate around invisible pitfalls in the sand. <em>Alright, that’s not too hard. </em>She thought, approaching the first area. She heard whispers around her which sent a shiver down her spine, telling her to trust her senses and feel her way through. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first area wasn’t too hard at all. Kiyuki only had to defeat one Trainer and zig zag her way across the sands before reaching solid ground. The pitfalls in the area behind all opened up, showing her where they were, and she continued up the stairs. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The whispers returned. “That’s it… That’s the ticket… Take a deep breath. Focus.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The second area was much larger, with two Trainers Kiyuki could see. The Trap Detectors buzzed in her hands, but it seemed like they were doing that whichever direction she turned. She cautiously extended her foot, tapping the ground in front of her. She quickly jumped back when it gave away, sending up a cloud of dust. <em>Not that way…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Slowing down, she inched forward, step by step, until she reached the first solid platform with the Trainer. Cornelius defeated her Crustle, and Kiyuki stepped off the platform onto the sand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Which immediately gave away. She yelled as it dropped her into a shallow pit. It didn’t hurt at all, but she sighed, annoyed that she was covered in dust yet again. It was definitely a bit of a trend with her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Gym Trainer she had just defeated reached down to pull her out. Kiyuki went the other way this time, navigating around all the traps this time. She defeated the second Trainer, then made her way to the end of the second area. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It might get a bit harder to see, now…” The voice whispered yet again as she climbed the steps to the third area, bringing a sandstorm with it. “You have to carry on, not knowing what lies before you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sandstorm was much thicker than the ones Hylla spat up. It’s intensity was closer to the one Raihan had kicked up at the Lake of Outrage, and suddenly Kiyuki found herself back there in her mind. She could almost hear Cornelius’ wingbeats, matched by Flygon’s, and a voice sounding like Raihan, telling her keep going. But it was actually the same voice as before, and it was certainly not Raihan.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Focus, Kiyuki. </em>She reprimanded herself for getting distracted, snapping herself out of her thoughts. Not being able to see anyways, she took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sandstorm howled in her ears, but if she listened carefully, she could hear the sand battering the rocks scattered throughout. Telling her where they were. She took a step forward. Turned towards the right. The Trap Detector buzzed, wrong way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned left. Stepped forward. There was the wall. She turned right, feeling a light buzz in her hands. She adjusted her course, until the ground beneath her feet changed from loose sand to something more solid. A platform.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki opened her eyes. The platform ran alongside the wall, and Kiyuki pressed forward, expecting there to be a Gym Trainer. And there was, barely visible. Hylla quickly defeated her Sudowoodo, and Kiyuki closed her eyes again before stepping out onto the sand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She slowed her breathing, taking cautious steps forward. She paused whenever she felt a buzz from the Trap Detector, adjusting her course when needed. She knew she was surrounded by traps on either side considering how the Trap Detectors were buzzing, but there were none in front in her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She walked forward. The Trap Detectors buzzed, stronger now. There was a trap in front of her. She turned to the right. Step forward. Buzz. Seems like she had to go around the other pit. Left. She found herself at the left wall again, following it until the Trap Detectors buzzed again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Right. Forward. Right. Left. The voice returned. “Don’t let yourself slip up now. Not this close to the end,” it whispered. Kiyuki felt the solid platform beneath her feet again, and opened her eyes. The sandstorm had disappeared now, but the Trap Detectors told her there was one more trap between her and the door leading to Gordie. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was relatively easy to navigate around, and Kiyuki was soon climbing the steps up the door. “You did… wonderfully. Just wonderfully,” the voice whispered again, disappearing for a moment, then returning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now, Gym Challenger. Join me on the pitch.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, there's a lot going on in this one. Sorry about that. Team recap next chapter, since there's been some major moveset changes in this one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Gordie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second chapter today. It's a little on the shorter side again. </p><p>Team recap: Now that it's complete! <br/>Nimbus (Altaria): Dragon Pulse, Hyper Voice, Dazzling Gleam, Cotton Guard<br/>Cornelius (Corviknight): Body Press, Drill Peck, Iron Head, U-turn<br/>Flicker (Chandelure): Shadow Ball, Will-o-Wisp, Flamethrower, Energy Ball<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Shadow Sneak, Play Rough, Swords Dance, Slash<br/>Hylla (Sandaconda): High Horsepower, Rock Blast, Iron Head, Glare<br/>Sacha (Goomy): Sludge Bomb, Dragon Breath, Thunderbolt, Protect</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was futilely attempting to dust herself off during the walk down the dark tunnel. Her uniform was starting to look a little worse for wear now. There were grass stains from Milo’s Gym, a singe mark on the hem of the shirt from Kabu’s Gym, and now dust and sand from this Gym. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The steady noise of the crowd rose when Kiyuki walked onto the pitch, seeing Gordie come out the other side. They met in the middle as always, although Kiyuki couldn’t get a gauge of Gordie behind his sunglasses. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey there. The name’s Gordie. I admit I feel a little bad for doing this to a Gym Challenger, but I’m going to use this match to show the crowd that my Pokémon are unbeatable! So, let’s get this over with, Challenger!” He said, brushing his hair back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Hmm… He’s certainly confident. </em>Kiyuki thought, walking out to the correct battling distance and pulling Flicker’s Premier Ball from her belt. Gordie looked at her with a smirk, before sending out a Barbaracle, doing a back flip as he did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Show off. </em>Kiyuki smirked right back at him as Flicker’s ghostly fire flared to life. He gave a small laugh characteristic of Ghost-types and waved his arms, staring down his opponent. This would be his first battle as a Chandelure, plus he had a new secret weapon that would decimate this Barbaracle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A Fire-type! Wrong move, Challenger.” Gordie called across the field to her from over his shoulder, before commanding his Barbaracle to use Shell Smash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Prove it, then!” Kiyuki called back, “Will-o-Wisp!” She didn’t want to tip Gordie off about the Energy Ball yet, so the burn only managed to cancel out the attack boost Barbaracle got from the Shell Smash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew Barbaracle was still strong, and could probably still easily knock out Flicker with any sort of Water or Rock-type attack. Sure enough, the follow-up Rock Tomb came out a moment later. It was much more powerful than when Bede’s Gothorita used it. This time Flicker had about a dozen rocks flying at him now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Spin to the left and Shadow Ball the far left rock, Flicker!” Kiyuki called, watching the trajectory of the rocks. If she was right, hitting the left one at the correct angle would cause it to knock the rest of them off course. She just hoped Flicker knew what to do as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Amazingly, he seemed like he did. He spun to the left and flung a crackling Shadow Ball into the rock Kiyuki had pointed out. With the Shadow Ball’s extra speed boost from the spin, the rock instantly changed course, slamming into the one behind it with a loud crack. It caused a sort of chain reaction, flinging all the rocks well away from the battle. It left nothing but a few stone splinters scattered on the field. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gordie looked surprised, but was quick to order a Razor Shell. Kiyuki smiled. Gordie had played exactly according to her plan. Barbaracle rushed at Flicker, who remained ready, waiting for Kiyuki’s command. She until until the attack was just about to connect, wanting to draw the Barbaracle in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now! Trap it!” Kiyuki yelled, and Flicker’s small flames quickly surrounded the Barbaracle, freezing it in place. Flicker’s unique ability had become considerably more powerful over the last day when he evolved, and he had gained the ability to somewhat control whatever he had trapped. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, he didn’t have complete control yet. But he had enough control to throw things in the air. “I think it’s time we stop messing around, Flicker. Toss it!” Kiyuki called, smiling. And Flicker complied with a laugh. He waved his arms, flinging the Barbaracle up into the air. It was free from the trap now, but was left helplessly struggling in air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Finish it with an Energy Ball!” Kiyuki yelled, and there was nothing the Barbaracle could do as the extremely effective hit connected with it on its way down. It was instantly knocked out, and Gordie was shocked speechless for a moment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I recognize you now! Challenger Kiyuki, one of the two Challengers endorsed by the Champion himself. I already defeated the other one, and you will be an excellent opponent to prove that my team is unbeatable!” He called to her, sending out a Shuckle in Barbaracle’s place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki opted to Will-o-Wisp the Shuckle again, considering the Energy Ball wasn’t super effective this time. She swore under her breath when the Shuckle used Power Split on Flicker, effectively taking away his ability to dish out powerful attacks. She tried an experimental Shadow Ball for the sake of it, but it did an abysmal amount of damage. Shuckle had gone for a Struggle Bug too, even though it also did absolutely nothing for damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki could tell that Gordie wasn’t going for damage though. He was trying to reduce Flicker’s attacking capability to nothing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s all right, Flicker! Return, there’s not much more you can do here.” Kiyuki called, switching him out for Cornelius. Shuckle had gone for a Stone Edge, but between Cornelius’ high defence and the Shuckle’s burn, the attack did absolutely nothing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Iron Head, Cornelius!” Kiyuki yelled, and the Corviknight cawed as he took to the air. The Shuckle launched a Rock Tomb, but the trajectory of the attack was much higher than where Cornelius was. He easily dove under it and slammed into the Shuckle with a super effective Iron Head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki couldn’t believe it when the Shuckle still wasn’t knocked out. It tried to Stone Edge Cornelius again and connected, but the attack did little except give Cornelius a boost into the air again. Another Iron Head, and Shuckle was down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered as Cornelius came to land in front of her again and Gordie sent out his next Pokémon. It was one Kiyuki knew only from her book, Stonjourner. She knew it was a pure Rock-type, but knew nothing beyond that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">First thing she learned was that it was slow. Second thing was that it had formidable physical defence. Cornelius was easily able to swoop in and slam an Iron Head into it, but the Stonjourner barely reacted. Its Rock Tomb was quite slow as well, and Cornelius was easily able to dodge it again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gordie played it well, however. When Cornelius’ second Iron Head connected, the Stonjourner was able to hit him with a Body Slam. The attack itself wasn’t the issue, it was the paralysis that was. He had used the same strategy Kiyuki had used against his Barbaracle, drawing in Cornelius and only attacking him then. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius was unable to break through the paralysis, his wings becoming locked up as Stonjourner was free to set up a Stealth Rock. He got completely paralyzed again a moment later and got hit with a Rock Tomb. <em>Not good. It has too much physical defence. But Nimbus and Flicker will both take serious damage from those Stealth Rocks. Not like there’s a better idea though…</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She just had to deal with that. Hoping that Nimbus would be able to react fast enough, Kiyuki recalled Cornelius. Nimbus gave an annoyed squawk as the Stealth Rocks cut into her. “Ignore them, Nimbus! Dragon Pulse!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard Gordie yell for a Wonder Room, which was not a move she saw a lot. But it was bad news. It would switch that Stonjourner’s defence and special defence, effectively rendering Nimbus’ attacks useless. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hurry!” Kiyuki yelled, and Nimbus fired off the Dragon Pulse. She was fast enough, turns out, and was able to knock out the Stonjourner before it set up the Wonder Room. Kiyuki sighed in relief. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not yet! I’m not crumbling to dust just yet. We can still battle!” Gordie yelled from across the field, sending out his final Pokémon, Coalossal. “Like a giant mountain boulder! Hiyah! Gigantamax!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pulled the Coalossal back into its Ball and Gigantamaxed it, pushing his sunglasses up his nose before flinging the Ball behind him. Coalossal grew until it towered over the battle, glowing like a furnace from the inside out. Kiyuki could feel the waves of heat radiating off of it as she stood frozen in place for a moment. Every new Gigantamax Pokémon she encountered still took her breath away with awe. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re not backing down either! Dynamax, Hylla! Let’s finish this!” Kiyuki yelled, swapping out Nimbus and bringing in Hylla instead. She wasn’t too bothered by the Stealth Rocks, and Kiyuki Dynamaxed her. She was still only about half the size of Gordie’s Coalossal, but she still hissed at her opponent, echoing around the stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Max Quake!” Kiyuki yelled, glad to see that Hylla that faster. Coalossal was extremely weak to Ground-type attacks, and Hylla’s attack was too much for it to take. It shrunk down back to itsnormal size in a pillar of flame, a roar echoing around the Stadium that matched the cheering and singing of the crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hylla also shrunk again, giving a little hiss at Gordie. Kiyuki recalled her, and met Gordie back at the centre of the pitch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That was…impressive. Rules are rules. Here, take this Rock Badge,” he said, quickly handing her the Badge and shaking her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>He really doesn’t like to lose, </em>Kiyuki observed. Apparently, Gordie had a sense of what she was thinking. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I just need to train harder, that’s all.” He said, smiling at her before leaving the pitch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was still tucking the Rock Tomb TM and the Rock Uniform in her backpack as she walked out of the Stadium, before being greeted by a familiar voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ya know, you’re always covered in dust every time I see you.” Sonia said. She had her hands on her hips and was smirking at Kiyuki.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, “in my defence, this time it’s because I fell into a pit.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure. That doesn’t explain the last time.” Sonia teased, and Kiyuki felt her face heat up. She was a little worried that Sonia knew a little more about that then what she was letting on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That battle was brilliant, though!” She continued, dropping the subject, much to Kiyuki’s relief. “Gordie’s tough, but you had no trouble. Circhester has some really great restaurants, ya know. I‘ve got some things I want to talk to you about, so let’s head to a restaurant to celebrate your win! The name of the restaurant is Bob’s Your Uncle!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Bob’s Your Uncle? That’s a strange name for a restaurant, </em>Kiyuki thought as she followed Sonia to the restaurant. Despite her warmer clothes, she still shivered as a gust of cold wind blew by. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How Sonia wasn’t freezing in just her usual brown jacket, Kiyuki had no idea. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You all right there? You’re shivering as much as a Snorunt!” She asked, smiling a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’m not used to his weather. Quite a bit colder than what I grew up in.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! That’s right, I always forget that Hoenn is quite tropical. Have you even seen snow before?” Sonia asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Two or three times, I think. I lived in the Eastern part of Hoenn, so it did snow occasionally, but only during really cold winters. And it never stuck around for long anyways,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia considered that for a moment, stopping in front of the door of the restaurant. “Hmm… Interesting. This town’s probably a little cold for you then, huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “A little. I hate the cold, I’ll admit that. I like the town though.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia smiiled, pulling the door to the restaurant open. “Come on, let’s go inside then. Hop’s probably already here.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Hero</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The restaurant was nice and warm when Kiyuki and Sonia walked in. Hop was there too, sitting on a chair in the entrance of the restaurant, but he jumped up when they walked in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Got that Gym Badge, Kiyuki? Nice one!” Hop grinned at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah! Have you gone back yet?” Kiyuki smiled.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop shook his head. “I’ll go tomorrow. Still gotta get stronger, you know?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, then turned back to Sonia. “So what did you want to talk to us about?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, we should probably sit down first. But I’ve been trying to find out more about the Darkest Day and the sword and shield Pokémon, but still no luck…” She said, before trailing off, staring at something at the back of the restaurant. “Wait! Hold on!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She dashed to the back of the restaurant, towards a picture of some kind. It showed some sort of archway, two people, and what looked like two tombstones, with a sword and shield on them. <em>The art style is the same as the tapestries in the Hammerlocke Vault. Which could only mean…</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No way! What’s this?!” Sonia exclaimed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, is that a fifth tapestry? It looks like the ones in Hammerlocke,” Kiyuki commented.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The heroes look sad… And where are the sword and shield? What was the meaning of this picture?” Sonia touched her chin, thinking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Sonia? It looks like the sword and shield are on something that looks like a gravestone. If the sword and shield were actually Pokémon, did they…die?” Kiyuki asked, stepping closer to examine the tapestry. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe, or I guess it could be that they were sealed away? Or maybe they’ve gone into some kind of sleep? That’s my take on it, at least,” Sonia added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki, you remember the Pokémon we met that day? Do you think…it could’ve been one of them? Either the sword or the shield Pokémon?” Hop asked, and Kiyuki nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Actually, I’m pretty certain it was the sword Pokémon. I’ve run that idea by Sonia already, and she agrees. It looks exactly like the statue in Stow-on-Side, but older and more broken,” Kiyuki told him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ya know, I only started on this journey because my gran told me to, but this is turning out to be too much fun! How about we discuss this over a meal? Go on, what do you want to eat? Let’s get our orders in!” Sonia grinned. Kiyuki definitely agreed, this was turning out to be a lot of fun, and food was an excellent idea. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She decided to order fried spring rolls with a spicy dip, one of her favourite foods from Hoenn. She was surprised to see them here, and sent a picture of them to her mom. They were delicious though, so she mainly just ate while letting Sonia and Hop talk. Sonia mainly filled him in on some of her theories that she had discussed with Kiyuki before, as well as running some by him as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia payed for their meals too. “All right, the next thing to do now that we’re done eating is to have a look around Circhester! Let’s inspect the Hero’s Bath!” She said, following them out. The Hero’s Bath turned out to be the hot springs Kiyuki had seen the night before, and they were giving off enough heat to chase away the chill in her fingertips. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The Hero’s Bath…” Sonia said. “They say this is where the two heroes came to soothe their wounds after the battle to bring down that evil presence, long ago. Nowadays only Pokémon really use the Hero’s Bath, though… Hmm… Who exactly were the heroes that bathed here? I think I’ll have to look into that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned back to Kiyuki and Hop. “You two met a mysterious Pokémon back in the Slumbering Weald… Perhaps…you two can become new heroes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, like some hero waving around a sword and shield? Pull the other one. Though…I guess I’d fancy a shield, if I had to take my pick,” Hop commented, but he was smiling at Sonia’s suggestion. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think I’d be a pretty lousy hero. Would probably trip over my own sword,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What kind of battle do you think the heroes had back then?” Sonia asked, smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop glanced over at Kiyuki, giving her a mischievous grin. “Why don’t we show her, Kiyuki! Think we can pull off a real heroic battle?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Absolutely!” Kiyuki laughed, “en garde, my friend!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He laughed. “Sonia treated us to a great meal. After that curry, I feel like I’ve got the energy to wrestle a Bewear!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t entirely understand your reasoning, but I might just as well see what you can do.” Sonia said, smiling and stepping back to give them the space to battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop led with a Dubwool, and Kiyuki sent out Nimbus. It was hailing, and the ice bounced off Nimbus’ wings. “Oh! Your Wooloo evolved!” Kiyuki called, and he nodded and grinned before calling for a Defence Curl. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Cotton Guard, Nimbus! Then Dragon Pulse!” Kiyuki called. Nimbus took to the air and increased her defence. Hop’s Dubwool came running at her trying to land a Take Down, but Nimbus stopped him in his tracks with the Dragon Pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dubwool’s defences were a lot higher than Wooloo’s, Kiyuki noticed. It took 3 more Dragon Pulses to finally knock it out, but Dubwool’s reckless Take Downs never managed to land on Nimbus. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Nimbus couldn’t do anything against Hop’s Corviknight. Dazzling Gleam, Dragon Pulse, and Hyper Voice were all resisted, so Kiyuki swapped her out for Flicker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop had gone for a Fury Attack, which passed straight through Flicker. Kiyuki called for a Flamethrower. The attack was way more powerful than Kiyuki thought it would be, and it knocked out the Corviknight in a single hit. It wasn’t even a critical hit, to Kiyuki’s surprise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now that’s a proper move! Steady on, partner! I feel your pain, and we’ll get her back for it!” Hop called as he sent out a Pincurchin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had never fought one of these before, but she was pretty sure it was an Electric-type. Hylla could deal with it easily, but Flicker could too. Kiyuki left him in and called for a Will-o-Wisp. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker’s attack connected, but the Pincurchin retaliated with a Bubble Beam. “Block it with a Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki called. The two attacks connected and canceled each other out in a burst of steam. “Flamethrower!” Kiyuki yelled again, and after the damage the Pinurchin had taken from the Hail and the burn, it was enough to knock out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s next Pokémon was Snorlax. <em>So he decided to keep the Snorlax, but swapped out the Trevenant, Heatmor, and the Boltund. Interesting. </em>Kiyuki knew it was a formidable physical attacker, so burning it was probably the best option. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After that, it was just a matter of Flicker staying back far enough to avoid the Crunch and whittle the Snorlax down with Flamethrower. She was incredibly glad she had taught that to Flicker to replace Inferno, low accuracy was not something she needed right now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Snorlax did manage to land Crunch twice, but the burn meant that Flicker was able to survive. It finally went down from the combined damage of the Flamethrowers, burn, and hail. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Think you’ve got me cornered? Not even close! It’ll be the greatest when I steal this win back!” Hop grinned at her, sending out his Umbreon. Kiyuki called for Will-o-Wisp, and Flicker’s flames danced towards the Umbreon. It leapt to the side to dodge, but a stray flame hit it and burned it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After that, it was just a matter of avoiding the retaliating Payback, and whittle the Umbreon down with Flamethrower. Umbreon continuously sent the spikes of Dark-type energy at Flicker, who spun around some of them, and trapped others before flinging them to the side. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker twirled around and giggled once Umbreon went down. He had surprised Kiyuki with just how strong he was during the battle against Gordie, and was continuing to surprise her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I still can’t even beat you, my true rival… But I think I’m starting to see the light!” Hop smiled at her. It was certainly a relief that he wasn’t doubting himself anymore, and Kiyuki gave him a smile back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks! You two gave a right proper battle. At the rate you both are going, even the unbeatable Leon may be in trouble! So what’s next, you two? I plan to look into things in the Slumbering Weald.” Sonia said, smiling at them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going to keep challenging that Gym! Then, once I get that Gym Badge, I’ll be heading for Route 9 to take on Spikemuth next.” Hop said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Spikemuth? If that’s the next Gym, then that’s where I’m going.” Kiyuki replied. Hop grinned and waved at both her and Sonia, before running off towards the Pokémon Centre.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seems like he finally shook off that gloom. Leon’d worry if Hop wasn’t feeling all right. As his rival, you wouldn’t like it either, right?” Sonia said, watching him run off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “I hated seeing him like that. I’m glad he’s doing better now. Where are you going now?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll probably check things out around here for a little while longer. I’ll let you know if I find anything. See ya.” Sonia replied, heading off herself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was a little reluctant to leave the area near the baths, where it was nice and warm. Although, considering Route 8 was a little warmer than it was here, Route 9 might be too. It did south, after all. Stopping to heal her team at the Pokémon Centre, Kiyuki adjusted her scarf and headed to Route 9. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Route 9 was not any warmer. Kiyuki had run into the same doctor she had run into on the bridge on Route 5, and after she had defeated a couple of Team Yell Grunts, he had upgraded her bike to ride on water. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the idea of being on something as precarious as a bike on the water scared her. Just the water in general scared her, and it didn’t help that chunks of ice floated in this water, indicating it would not be a pleasant swim if she fell in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was seriously tempted to just fly on Cornelius, but the doctor was excitedly waiting for her to try out the bike. For now, she was still on dry land, straddling the bike and balancing with her right foot down on the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She drew in a shaky breath, then placed her foot on the pedal and moved forward. The front wheel hit the water, and Kiyuki felt a jolt of panic. She tried to stop, but she was already on an incline that carried her forward. Kiyuki squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, waiting for the shock of cold water. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It never came. When she opened her eyes and shakily released the air in her lungs, she glanced down. There were two green inflatable tire-looking things on her wheels that were keeping her afloat. They had inflated automatically, and Kiyuki was surprised at how stable it was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The water was calm too, so she at least didn’t have to worry about waves knocking her over. She placed her feet back on the pedals and gently pushed forward. The wheels spun and pushed her forward, but she didn’t seem in any danger of falling over. It was snowing lighter now, so Kiyuki let Nimbus out of her Ball to fly next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She slowly pedalled her way around the rocks and ice, occasionally ducking under a Mantyke leaping out of the water. She just keep telling herself she was pedalling across land to keep her fear under control, but still going slow enough to avoid splashing. The splashes made by the leaping Mantykes and Remoraids threatened to tear down her illusion, panic gripping at her heart with every splash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus kept her from losing it. She was flying slightly behind her, having just defeated the Grapploct that tried to attack her. She was singing as she flew, and Kiyuki listened as she pulled onto a small island surrounded by ice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m surprised you still remember that song.” Kiyuki told the Altaria as she bent over to pick up a TM on the ground. Rock Slide. <em>I’ll have to teach this one to Hylla. Especially if we do end up battling Leon for the Championship, we’ll need a way to deal with that Charizard. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki hummed along with Nimbus for a moment. It was an old folk song from Hoenn about how the Legendary Dragon-type Pokémon, Rayquaza, ended the battle between Groudon and Kyogre and prevented the region from falling into ruin. She couldn’t remember the lyrics right now, but she remembered the melody perfectly fine. She had taught it to Nimbus a couple of days after she had hatched, but that was several months ago now.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then again, you are a Dragon and Flying-type like Rayquaza. So it makes sense you’d remember a song about it. Ready to keep going? There’s another Grapploct over there.” Kiyuki asked, getting back on her bike. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus hummed again and Kiyuki rode back out onto the water. She held her breath for a moment to still make sure she didn’t sink, but eventually let it out and slowly pedalled forward. She kept telling herself that she was just pedalling across the land, and by the looks of it, she was almost across the water. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wove around the rocks and back onto dry land. It was overcast, but was much warmer here and had stopped snowing. Kiyuki sat down on the grass for a moment, pausing to switch her warm coat for her hoodie and to let her racing heart calm down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus settled next to her and nuzzled her head into Kiyuki’s hand. She hummed when Kiyuki scratched her behind the long feathers on her head, closing her eyes. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Kiyuki felt calm enough again, and felt like she could breathe. Crashing floodwaters no longer clawed at her memory, so she gave Nimbus one more scratch before standing back up.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the looks of it, Spikemuth was just up the hill. She felt most of her team was ready for the next Gym, even though she had no idea what Type it was. The only one who was still behind was Sacha, who was still a Goomy. Her horns were elongating and she was growing larger, so Kiyuki knew she was close to evolving. Plus, she had learned Dragon Pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There wasn’t really anyone around, just a few random Trainers. But no other Gym Challengers. So Sacha might be able to evolve and get back into her Ball before any other Gym Challengers saw her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki walked up to the nearest Trainer, challenging him to a battle. He had a Toxtricity that was much too strong for Sacha, so Kiyuki switched her out and Hylla defeated it. The second Trainer had a Maractus, which could barely do any damage to Sacha. She defeated it on her own with Sludge Bomb, then became engulfed in blue light. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was almost up to Kiyuki’s waist when the light disappeared, much larger than she was before. Her horns were much longer now and were twitching, and Kiyuki remembered that Sliggoo couldn’t see very well and used their horns to sense what was going on around them. She gurgled up at Kiyuki, her horns twitching again and accidentally flinging some of her goo onto Kiyuki’s hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ouch!” Kiyuki yelped as the goo started burning her hand. She wiped it off on the ground and poured some water on it until the burning stopped. “All right, we’re going to be careful with that. Don’t dissolve me. I’m not food,” she said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sacha just gave Kiyuki another gurgle. “Ready to keep going? And you’re going to have to stay in your Ball for a little while longer. You’re still technically a secret.” Kiyuki told her before recalling her into her Ball and clipping it back to her belt. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She double checked her hand to make sure she got the goo off. It was still pretty red, but her at least her skin wasn’t dissolving anymore. She pulled a glove on as she headed up the hill to Spikemuth. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Yell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A crowd of people gathered at the entrance of Spikemuth caught Kiyuki’s attention as she reached the top of the hill. They were yelling and complaining about the town being shuttered, asking how they were supposed to get their Gym Badge. Sure enough, there was a large metal shutter that completely blocked off the town. And it didn’t look like there was a switch to open it in any obvious place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki ignored the crowd and started poking around the area, looking for a switch or another door. She eventually heard someone calling her name, and glanced around until she saw Marnie waving at her from behind some crates. Kiyuki went towards her, navigating around a metal fence and some grass until she reached behind the crates, where Marnie was waiting.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was standing in front of an opening in the buildings, leading to a dark town lit with neon lighting. “I was born ‘ere so I know another way in. If you wanna get into the town, how ‘bout I show you the way?” She said, gesturing to the opening behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You would do that? Thanks!” Kiyuki replied, smiling at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But…” Marnie continued, “you’re my rival. So you’ll have to beat me in a battle first, got it? You’ve had a pretty good win streak in the Gym Challenge, just like me! I respect you as my rival and all that, but I got too much at stake to go around losin’ now!” Two Team Yell Grunts came running out of Spikemuth, starting to cheer her on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A battle it is then. I’m not about to lose either!” Kiyuki returned, sending out Cornelius to begin the battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve powered up a whole lot! I’m gonna beat you lot into the ground, got it?” Marnie said as she sent out her Liepard. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Body Press, Cornelius!” Kiyuki called, raising her hand. Liepard went for a Nasty Plot, raising its special attack as Cornelius rose up into the air. He dropped down on it, sending it skidding away. Its claws tore a strip into the grass, but it wasn’t knocked out and hissed at the Corviknight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It came at him with a Sucker Punch as Cornelius readied an Iron Head at Kiyuki’s command. The Liepard’s clawed paw slammed into Cornelius, but he barely reacted and rammed into the Liepard with the Iron Head, knocking it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunts behind Marnie yelled as she recalled the defeated Liepard, sending out her Toxicroak in its place. She called for a Swagger as Cornelius flew up again, and the frog Pokémon taunted the Corviknight, raising his attack and confusing him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Drill Peck!” Kiyuki called, but Cornelius just squawked, trying to break through the confusion. Marnie’s Toxicroak readied a Sucker Punch, but in his confusion, Cornelius missed his Drill Peck and went crashing into the ground. He had hurt himself, but was still good to fight and flew up again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Toxicroak tried to Sucker Punch again, but Cornelius shrugged off the attack and landed his Drill Peck. With the attack boost from the Swagger, Toxicroak was instantly knocked it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was still confused and hurt from his fall, however. So Kiyuki switched him out for Nimbus as Marnie sent out her Morpeko. It immediately came running at Nimbus, readying a Bite. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dodge it, then Cotton Guard!” Kiyuki called. Nimbus flapped her wings once, so that when the Morpeko leapt up to hit her, it passed harmlessly underneath. Nimbus raised her defence as Morpeko switched to its other form, snarling up at the Altaria. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It leapt at Nimbus again with a Spark this time, but Nimbus intercepted it with a Dragon Pulse, forcing it back. Morpeko recovered and started running in circles around Nimbus. She shot another Dragon Pulse at it, but Morpeko dodged it and launched a Spark at Nimbus again. It connected this time and sent Nimbus staggering back, but fortunately didn’t paralyze. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus sent out a Dazzling Gleam as the Morpeko jumped again, this time knocking it out. Marnie grimaced, recalling her Morpeko and sending out her Scrafty in its place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dazzling Gleam, Nimbus,” Kiyuki said, fully expecting the extremely effective attack to knock it out in a single hit. It connected, but the Scrafty survived and came at Nimbus with a Crunch. <em>Ugh… I forgot how defensive Scrafty are, </em>Kiyuki thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Crunch connected, but Nimbus’ defence boost limited the amount of damage that the Scrafty could do to her. She finished off the Scrafty with another Dazzling Gleam before it could recover and get out of the way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“As expected of my rival! You really know how to get me riled up!” Marnie called, sending out her final Pokémon, a Grimmsnarl. <em>Huh… she must’ve caught that in the Glimwood Tangle. </em>It wasn’t a great matchup for Nimbus, but she might be able to pull this off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for a Dazzling Gleam, and the light battered the Grimmsnarl. It roared at Nimbus, then flung its arm forward, sending the hair wrapped around it shooting forward. Nimbus squawked at the super effective hit, but she managed to shake off the attack soon enough and stay airborne. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now that she knew what to watch out for, it was easier for Nimbus to avoid the attacks now. It was just a manner of staying back far enough and whittling down the Grimmsnarl with Dazzling Gleam, until it was finally knocked out. It slumped to its knees before Marnie recalled it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s with that?! My Pokémon didn’t get a chance to really do their thing at all. Ugh!” Marnie grumbled, glancing away from Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she shook her head and turned back a moment later with a sigh. “My partner Morpeko has been interested in you and your strength, and I think I get it now. But I’ve got everyone in Spikemuth supportin’ me! I’m definitely gonna get all eight Gym Badges just so I can have a rematch with you. Don’cha forget it! I’ll get my revenge in the Champion Cup!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled at her, “I look forward to it!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anyway, I promised I’d show you a way in, so follow me!” Marnie said, waving her in through the gap in the building. Everything darkened as Kiyuki followed her in, the sunlight disappearing so the only light source were the neon lights. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki rejoined Marnie at a table after healing her team at the Pokémon Centre. “With the shutter closed, nobody’s gonna be able to challenge the Gym… I gotta look into this,” she said as Kiyuki walked up. “You go challenge my brother, I’ll sort this out.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She handed her a League Card, showing someone Kiyuki hadn’t seen before, but figured he was the Gym Leader. Marnie waved at her before heading off down the street, deeper into the town. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi! Welcome to Spikemuth, kid! Hope yer ready for the Gym mission!” The Team Yell Grunt at the table told her. The table was apparently the entrance to the Gym, and he told her to go change into her Gym uniform, pointing at a door behind him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunt pointed her down the street once she had her uniform on, saying the Gym Leader was at the other end. <em>That’s not a very challenging Gym mission if I just have to walk down the street, </em>Kiyuki thought. She could hear some music coming from direction the Grunt had pointed her in, so she just started walking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Spikemuth was still extremely dark. A lot of the neon signs were off, but Kiyuki could still see where she was going. And she could easily see the neon pink hair of the two Team Yell Grunts that stepped out from between the two buildings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gym Challenger. You wanna get past me, but I don’t want that. Basically, it’s a battle between our desires.” The first Grunt said, sending out a Linoone to battle. Cornelius easily defeated it with a Body Press, and the two Grunts ran off down the street. The second Grunt didn’t even challenge Kiyuki to a battle, to her surprise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She just shrugged and continued on, the music slowly getting louder. Shortly ahead though, a Mr. Mime had set up an invisible wall to block her path. Kiyuki was about to bring out Nimbus and get her to use Dazzling Gleam on it, but paused when she heard footsteps and a voice behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s this? A Gym Challenger made it through? All us Team Yell members have blocked the way. Don’t think we’ll just you waltz through!” Kiyuki turned as the Grunt spoke up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Try and stop me, then. You haven’t been able to so far,” Kiyuki smirked at her, sending out Hallow to meet the Grunt’s Thievul. A Play Rough, and it was over. The two Grunts grumbled and jogged off, with the Mr. Mime dropping its hands and running after them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stretched out her hand and waved it around in the air to make sure the invisible wall was gone, then pressed on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She fully expected to run into some more Grunts, and it wasn’t long before she walked past some boxes and noticed two Grunts leaning out of the windows above. Kiyuki stopped between them and looked up. “Uh… what’re you guys doing up there?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m yellin’ for no reason!” One of the Grunts shouted, before they both vaulted themselves out of the windows and onto the boxes with a resounding crash. They both got up surprisingly quickly and trapped Kiyuki between them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did I surprise you? I’m a little surprised how much my legs from that landin’! If I stand still like this for too long, it’ll hurt so bad I might cry… So I’ll shake it off with a battle!” The Grunt in front of her said with a wince. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You might’ve had better luck surprising me if I hadn’t seen you before. I guess I’ll just have to beat you quickly so you can go sit down,” Kiyuki replied with a laugh, sending out Hallow once again to meet the Grunt’s Scrafty. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was hardly a fair fight, and Play Rough instantly knocked out the Scrafty. The Grunt just shrugged. “Well, it’s true that I lost, but I pushed through the pain, so you should praise me for that! All right! Now that the pain’s gone, I guess I’d better get outta here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe take the stairs next time!” Kiyuki yelled after the Grunts as they hobbled away. She let Hallow climb up to her shoulder before she quietly laughed to herself and continued down the road, which felt like it was going on forever. The music was much louder now, and Kiyuki could make out the melody.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki soon found her path blocked by another Mr. Mime and its invisible wall. “The HP of your Pokémon not lookin’ so good?” A voice behind her said, and she turned to see two more Grunts backflipping down the road. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, we’re doing fine. It’s you guys that are having the issues,” Kiyuki replied, letting Hallow jump down to the ground, knowing what would be coming next. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I practiced that back handspring so much, even a pop star would be jealous of those moves. Were you surprised? Oi, be surprised, you! While you’re in utter shock, I’m gonna sneakily win this battle!” The Grunt said, sending out a Weavile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s just hope you’ve spent as much time on your battling as you have on that back flip,” Kiyuki smirked back, watching as Hallow easily defeated the Weavile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunt was more in shock herself. “Huh? Seriously? You’ve gotta be kiddin’… It’s over already? I shoulda been practicin’ my battle skills, not my backflip skills… Thanks for showin’ me that. Guess I’ll cheer for you from now on.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And with that, the two Grunts continued backflipping down the road, followed by the Mr. Mime. Her path clear, Kiyuki continued, but the road was soon blocked again by a pile of debris. There was an opening in the building to the left, however, so she went in and found herself face to face with another Grunt. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Team Yell takes the field! This might be the Gym Challenge, but I won’t let you ruin our cool secret hangout!” The Grunt in front of her yelled, and another voice came from behind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, time for a pincer attack! We’ll do whatever it takes to win!” Kiyuki turned to the voice as another Grunt ran up behind her. He wasn’t wearing facepaint or a jacket like the rest of the Grunts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah! I didn’t have enough time to get my disguise ready! That’s right! Team Yell is actually made up of Spikemuth Gym Trainers!” The second Grunt added, before they both challenged her to a battle. Nimbus was able to defeat the Drapion the Gym Trainer sent out, while Hallow finished off the Liepard. <em>Easy. But Team Yell are actually Gym Trainers? What?!</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh whatever! Our Gym Leader’s up next, but he’s really strong. Got that?” The Grunt in front of her said before running off, followed by the second Grunt saying, “I mean, everybody already knew the true identity of Team Yell, right? That means I won’t get in trouble for not gettin’ my disguise on, right? I sure hope so…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“News to me,” Kiyuki said, more so to herself since the Gym Trainer had already run off. Hallow laughed and climbed back up to Kiyuki’s shoulder, as she rounded the corner. Marnie was there, yelling at three very sheepish looking Team Yell Grunts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, Kiyuki! Uh… I’m really sorry! The lot from Spikemuth’s tellin’ me they locked down the city for my sake…” Marnie shouted, shooting a glare at the Grunts again. She had to shout to be heard over the music, which sounded like it was coming from the room straight ahead.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Spikemuth just keeps gettin’ worse and worse. And all Piers says is “Don’t worry”…” The first Grunt chimed in, followed by the second one. “So…So we decided to disguise ourselves as Team Yell and sabotage the other challengers.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We thought, if we could stop the other Gym Challengers from reachin’ the Gym, then Ms. Marnie would be the only one to win and make it to the Champion Cup!” The first Grunt said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And we figured that’d increase the chances of our wonderful Ms. Marnie becomin’ the new Champion!” The second Grunt finished.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie was glaring at them the whole time, then sighed. “That’s no way to help someone at all!” She turned back to Kiyuki, who was just watching. “Kiyuki, no need to bother with all the preparations, or whatever. Go on in and face the Gym Leader!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Grunts shuffled around so Kiyuki could pass them, keeping their gazes on the floor. She found herself tapping her fingers against her leg to the rhythm of the music as she stepped into the blinding lights of the concert. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I find it a little strange that Marnie suddenly shows up at the tournament with a Grimmsnarl. It makes a little more sense that she gets it after the Glimwood Tangle.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Piers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second chapter today!</p><p>There haven't really been many changes in terms of Pokémon movesets, but I'll do the team recap anyways. </p><p>Nimbus (Altaria): Dragon Pulse, Dazzling Gleam, Cotton Guard, Hyper Voice<br/>Cornelius (Corviknight): Drill Peck, Body Press, Iron Head, U-turn <br/>Flicker (Chandelure): Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Will-o-Wisp<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Play Rough, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Claw, Swords Dance<br/>Hylla (Sandaconda): Iron Head, High Horsepower, Rock Slide, Glare<br/>Sacha (Sliggoo): Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, Dragon Pulse, Protect</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan hummed along with Piers’ song playing on the live-stream of the Spikemuth Gym. It was the middle of the afternoon, yet there had been no Gym Challengers all day. Well, Piers’ music was absolutely fantastic, so having the live stream playing all day wasn’t an issue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he couldn’t help but think it was really strange that there hadn’t been any Challengers. <em>Have none of them gotten through the mission? Or none of them can reach the mission… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged the thought off, promising himself he would text either Leon or Piers if there had still been no Challengers by dinnertime. In the meantime however, he was shuffling around the food in his fridge, looking for something for eat. He was in the process of eyeing a slice of leftover pizza when the music suddenly died down, causing him to glance up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The camera had focused on a girl in a Gym uniform that had just walked in. Long brown hair, blue eyes, confident look, Kiyuki. <em>Count on her for being the first one to make it, </em>he grinned, abandoning the slice of pizza and shutting the fridge, before sitting down on the couch next to a napping Flygon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her Mimikyu was perched on her shoulder, and she looked a little embarrassed to have disturbed the concert, but Raihan knew Piers’ was just doing that to pass the time. “So you’re finally here, huh?” Piers said from off camera, which immediately turned away from Kiyuki and onto him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“See, I’m… I’m really not a great Gym Leader. Figured that’s why nobody was comin’ to challenge me,” Piers continued, and Raihan laughed. <em>You say that every time, yet you’re the seventh Gym Leader for a reason. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The shutter’s closed. That’s why no one is coming,” Kiyuki added, and Piers stepped off the stage, the crowd of Gym Trainers parting to let him past. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have good ears, so I overheard that whole thing about the city bein’ shut up. When I was alone, it was like my soul was weepin’. This is a simple Gym Stadium. We can’t even Dynamax our Pokémon, but well… I still hope you enjoy the battle,” Piers replied, waving his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd of Gym Trainers, along with a couple of Toxel and Linoone cleared out, moving behind the metal grates on either side of the pitch. Kiyuki stared down Piers for a moment in the silence, before he broke it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now then…” Piers took in a breath before swinging his microphone around in front of him. “I’m the Gym Leader of Spikemuth, Piers, the Dark-type user! You wanna challenge me, even though you know you’ll lose? Then this song’s for you, foolish Trainer! Get ready for a mosh pit with me and my party! Spikemuth, it’s time to rock!” The microphone amplified his voice, and Raihan had to turn the volume of the telly down a couple of notches to avoid disturbing his neighbours. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bring it on, then! I’m not backing down!” Kiyuki returned, grinning. She looked as if she was enjoying this immensely. Piers led with his Scrafty like usual, while Kiyuki stretched out her arm to let her Mimikyu jump down to the ground. Hallow, if he remembered correctly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Everyone, cheer on my Pokémon! Let’s do it, Scrafty! Intimidate the opponent!” Piers’ yelled, and the volume of the crowd of Gym Trainers rose to match him. <em>That’s bad news for a Mimikyu, </em>Raihan thought as Hallow’s attack was lowered. Kiyuki didn’t seem at all concerned, the same confident, focused look present in her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Swords Dance, Hallow. Ignore that Intimidate,” She commanded. <em>Swords Dance?! Since when did it know that?! </em>Last battle he had watched with the Mimikyu, she had only known Hone Claws.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her Mimikyu took the hit from Scrafty’s Payback, which did nothing but break her disguise. The head of the rag fell to the side, but the Mimikyu was fine. No matter how many times Raihan saw that, it still creeped him out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hallow moved quick as a shadow, momentarily disappearing into one with a quick shout from Kiyuki to avoid the Sand Attack that Scrafty shot at her. She appeared again behind Scrafty, and connected with a powerful Play Rough that instantly knocked it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki ignored the shouts from the Gym Trainers on the sidelines, staying focused on the battle as Piers recalled his defeated Scrafty, sending out his Obstagoon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Already? He always saves Obstagoon for last whenever he’s battling me. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Time to meet another member of my crew! Face the proud, high roar of my Obstagoon!” Piers yelled, and the crowd matched him again. Obstagoon snarled at the Mimikyu, but Raihan couldn’t tell if it was phased at all, because, well… it’s a Mimikyu. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki was quick to order another Play Rough, but Obstagoon set up an Obstruct. Hallow was unable to stop her momentum and slammed into the Obstagoon, who flung her back. Her defences now were seriously weakened, and Raihan noticed Kiyuki mouth something that looked suspiciously like a swear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time Hallow shook off the attack, the Obstagoon was already bearing down on her with a Throat Chop. “Here’s a number I had saved just for this! You lot in the stands better cheer me on!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki yelled something, but Raihan couldn’t make out what it was. But her Mimikyu hopped to the side and avoided the Throat Chop at the last second, and the Obstagoon’s paw slammed into the ground instead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pivoted around as soon as it landed and rammed into Obstagoon with a Play Rough. It wasn’t enough to knock out, and Obstagoon spun with a roar, slamming a Shadow Claw into Hallow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Mimikyu flew back and slammed into the metal grates, thoroughly knocked out. <em>Oof… that’s unlucky. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd yelled as Kiyuki recalled her defeated Mimikyu, whispering something as she replaced her Dusk Ball back on her belt. She pulled out an Ultra Ball, and for a second, Raihan was worried that she was going to send out the Goomy, although it might be a Sliggoo at this point. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she didn’t. Raihan had forgotten that Nimbus was also in an Ultra Ball. The golden Altaria flew up as Kiyuki raised her hand, before shooting a powerful Dragon Pulse at Obstagoon. He was forced to block it with an Obstruct, the attack forcing him to step back towards Piers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stumbled when he let go of the Obstruct, and Kiyuki was clearly watching for that opening. She called for a Dazzling Gleam, finishing off the Obstagoon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Nice one! </em>Raihan thought, but he must have said it out loud too, given the annoyed buzz from Flygon, who was curled up on the couch next to him. “Sorry, Fly. It’s a good battle. If she wins this, you know, we finally get to battle her ourselves. And I know you want that just as much as I do. You really liked her Corviknight.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon buzzed, but didn’t go back to sleep, instead keeping his head up to watch the TV. Nimbus was still battling, shooting a Dragon Pulse at Piers’ Malamar before flying to the side to avoid the incoming Night Slash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Why isn’t she just going for the Dazzling Gleam? </em>Raihan thought as Nimbus was forced to Hyper Voice the Malamar’s Payback to avoid getting hit. He could see Kiyuki at the edge of the camera, intently focused, but smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She called for another Dragon Pulse, and the Malamar crossed its tentacles in front of it to slice through the attack. Another shout from Kiyuki, and Nimbus redirected the attack downwards, sending up a plume of smoke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Malamar waved its tentacles to clear the smoke, but the distraction allowed Nimbus to get around behind it and finish it off with a Dazzling Gleam. <em>Great move!</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The match commentators on the live stream said about the same thing. Raihan had noticed both on social media and the live broadcasts that Kiyuki was becoming quite popular as she progressed through the Gym Challenge. Now with so few Challengers remaining, it was clear that she was one of the favourites to win it all. Hop and Marnie were also quite popular, but Kiyuki seemed to be getting most of the attention.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He could see why. Incredibly talented and mysterious Gym Challenger from the Hoenn region with a foreign Pokémon? That’s exactly the kind of story the media loved, and was what caught his eye too. But from what he’s seen of her so far, Raihan was certainly not disappointed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Piers’ voice called his attention back to the TV. “Everyone’s gonna stink, but who cares! Go, Skuntank! Use your Sucker Punch and Toxic!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki still wasn’t switching out Nimbus, extending her arm out as she called for another Dragon Pulse. Her attack did a sizeable amount of damage to Skuntank, but he managed to land the Toxic. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Altaria cried out, taking a lot of damage from the poison. <em>Might be a good idea to switch now, Kiyuki…</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sure enough, she did. “Great job, Nimbus! Hylla can finish this!” Kiyuki called over the noise of the crowd, finally switching out Nimbus for her Sandaconda. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Skuntank had gone for a Snarl, which did very little damage to Kiyuki’s Sandaconda on the switch-in. In response, the Sandaconda, Hylla, coiled up and spat up a sandstorm at the Stuntank. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her sandstorm made the battle much more difficult to see. But Raihan was quite used to fighting in sandstorms, although Kiyuki’s wasn’t quite as strong as Flygon’s or Gigalith’s. It was still enough to batter the Stuntank, causing it to shake out his fur. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Sandaconda was much more difficult to see, it’s colours allowing it to blend in. Raihan could still pick it out easily, but Piers likely wouldn’t be able to. Kiyuki didn’t seem at all bothered by the sand either, and called for a High Horsepower. Piers, on the other hand, was trying to shield his eyes enough to locate where Kiyuki’s Pokémon was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wasn’t even able to react when the Sandaconda struck with her attack first, remaining perfectly camouflaged until she attacked. Piers didn’t even have the chance to use Sucker Punch, and the High Horsepower was enough to finish off the Skuntank. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan realized now why she hadn’t switched out Nimbus immediately when the Stuntank came in. She didn’t think the High Horsepower would knock out, but it would be guaranteed with the Dragon Pulse damage. <em>Clever… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd of Gym Trainers was silent for once as Piers sighed and recalled his defeated Skuntank, the sandstorm dissipating as well. “I’m glad we were able to battle. Seems like my Pokémon feel the same way,” he said, stepping forward to the centre of the pitch. Kiyuki met him there once she had recalled Hylla back into her Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They shook hands and Piers handed her the Dark Badge. “She did it, Fly. We finally get to battle her,” Raihan said, noticing that Flygon was still watching the TV. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon buzzed, and Raihan kept listening to the TV. With the battle over, it had cut back to the two commentators. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I gotta say, Bob, you were right when you said all those months ago that Challenger Kiyuki would be one to watch out for.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know a promising Challenger when I see one, Markus. Plus being endorsed by the Champion himself, I don’t think we could expect anything less from her!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And now being the first one to defeat Gym Leader Piers and earn the Dark Badge! Our crew at Spikemuth say that there were several Challengers outside the city earlier in the day, but a group called Team Yell had closed the shutter in an attempt to sabotage the Gym Challengers!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Indeed, Markus. I wonder how Challenger Kiyuki got in?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A window, maybe?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Perhaps. Let’s go to Annabelle at Spikemuth, who has managed to grab Challenger Kiyuki before she escaped this time!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The scene cut to a female reporter out in front of Spikemuth, accompanied by a nervous-looking Kiyuki back in her usual grey hoodie and League sports cap. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Markus. We’ll get back to you soon, now that more Gym Challengers will be challenging Gym Leader Piers now. But first, Challenger Kiyuki, how are you feeling after that battle?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pretty good, actually! I’m looking forward to what’s to come,” Kiyuki said simply, hiding her nervousness well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you going to challenge Gym Leader Raihan straight away?” The reporter asked, and Raihan grinned as Kiyuki unmistakably blushed a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not yet, I need to make a detour to the Wild Area. Catch some more Pokémon, you know?” Kiyuki smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not gone unnoticed that we’ve only seen you use five Pokémon so far, care to let us in on what your last one is?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I can’t let you in on a Pokémon I don’t have yet. That’s why I’m going to the Wild Area, then we defeat Raihan,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan laughed. “Oh, you wish. You’re not getting past the great Raihan!” Flygon buzzed at him and gave him a look. “Yes, I know she can’t hear me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before the reporter could ask her something else, a loud explosion came from off camera. It caused the camera to shake, but Raihan felt it from Hammerlocke too. The camera turned to the tunnel leading back to Route 7, focusing on a red swirling storm in the sky, then dropping down to the tunnel. Just as a Dynamaxed Perrserker was stepping out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan swore and fumbled for his phone, quickly calling Leon. He picked up after the first ring. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know! I’m on my way over there!” He yelled, sounding like he was sprinting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Where are you? I’m going too!” Raihan replied, jumping up and grabbing the keys to his flat. Flygon was instantly up and flew after him out the door, which he locked behind him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just at the tunnel now between Routes 9 and 7,” Leon yelled, before following up with a string of curses. “There’s three of them! One’s out of the tunnel and heading straight for Spikemuth!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki’s in front of the city there! I’m on my way!” Raihan yelled once he reached the street. He took off running towards Route 7, weaving through the crowd of people were running away from Route 7. The signature dark storms of Dynamaxed Pokémon hung over the Route, casting an ominous glow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He heard Leon swear again, then he hung up. “Lee!” Raihan yelled into his phone, but there was predictably no answer. “Fly, come on! We’ve gotta hurry!” He called up to Flygon, who came down to let Raihan get on his back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Hang in there, Kiyuki… </em>
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One more note, did everyone watch the trailer for the DLC today? I'm really excited! And I'm very happy to see Altaria returning! Gigantamax Venusaur and Blastoise look fantastic, and same with the new Regis. I'm quite looking forward to it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Max</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I wasn't at all satisfied with what I originally wrote, and just decided to rewrite most of the chapter. Can't say I'm completely happy with this either, but its better than what I had originally. Hope you guys enjoy it!</p><p>Also, bit of a warning. There are mentions of blood in this chapter. So if this bothers you, I've got a chapter summary at the bottom.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Oh, that is really not good. That is really, really bad…</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the Gym Challengers had already gone into Spikemuth, leaving only Kiyuki and the reporters outside. The Dynamax Perrserker emerging from the tunnel had clearly seen them, extending its claws with a sharp, metallic screech as it stepped towards them.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The reporter Kiyuki had been talking to immediately screamed and made a run for Spikemuth, with the cameraman close behind. Kiyuki was left alone outside, and was about to make a run for it herself, but stopped. The Perrserker had already seen her, and would most certainly follow her and destroy Spikemuth. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>No other option, then.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So instead of stepping away from the Perrserker, she stepped towards it, bringing out Flicker and Cornelius. They both have her a concerned sound and backed up a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know, I know, we’re in a bad situation,” Kiyuki told them, climbing onto Cornelius’ back. “Flicker, you Flamethrower it as much as possible. Cornelius and I will distract it. Just be ready to trap it if it starts going bad.” </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker hissed in confirmation, and floated out a little ways to meet the Perrserker. Kiyuki quickly checked her Dynamax Band, but it wasn’t glowing, meaning she couldn’t Dynamax Flicker to match the Perrserker. They would have to make do. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Perrserker screeched, sending out a Max Steelspike at her and Cornelius. Kiyuki urged the Corviknight into the air, narrowly avoiding the attack. It missed them, but gouged a dent into the wall of Spikemuth behind them.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ve got to draw it away from the city! Get its attention!” Kiyuki yelled, hanging on as Cornelius flew closer to the Perrserker. He squawked at it as he soared around its head, catching its attention just as a burst of fire appeared from below, indicating that Flicker had hit it with a Flamethrower. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker’s attack drew an echoing hiss from the Perrserker, and it swatted him away before raising its massive paw and taking a swing at Cornelius. Flicker got tossed back with a cry, disappearing behind a wall. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for Cornelius to dive. He did another loop around the Perrserker before flying away from it. He headed back towards the tunnel, staying close to the ground to make sure it would see them. The Perrserker screeched again, sending out a Max Strike to follow up. The attack crackled along the ground, chasing them and forcing Cornelius to pull up.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki heard the Perrserker’s heavy footsteps behind her, indicating that it was following her. So far her plan was working, but Cornelius suddenly came to a halt in the air and squawked. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s wrong?” Kiyuki yelled, but she got her answer soon enough. There was a second Dynamaxed Perrserker stepping out of the tunnel, and a third one behind it. <em>Oh my Arceus… this is really bad. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A hiss from the Perrserker behind her snapped her out of her internal string of curses. Cornelius dove again as it brought its paw down on them again, flying around behind it. Kiyuki looked around for Flicker while Cornelius skimmed the ground around the Perrserker’s feet, keeping it sufficiently infuriated and away from the city. Flicker was pulling himself out of a pile of rubble nearby, shaking off the hit as his flames came back to life.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he seemed like he was alright. Kiyuki urged Cornelius closer to the Chandelure so she could pull him back into his Ball and bring him back into the battle. She kept his Premier Ball in her hand as Cornelius turned around and shot back towards the Perrserker, who immediately sent another Max Steelspike at them. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki sent Flicker back out closer to the Perrserker, just as Cornelius pulled up to avoid its attack. He hissed and hit the Perrserker with another Flamethrower, finally finishing it off. It gave an ear-piercing shriek and became engulfed in a column of flames, shrinking down back to its normal size. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius circled back around to the dazed Perrserker in the middle of the path, hovering in place so Kiyuki could get a closer look at it. She was wondering if there was something different about this one in particular that might’ve caused it to Dynamax in the middle of the Route. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t have a chance to really look, since the Perrserker just hissed at her and went running into the grass. Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief, but heavy footsteps invaded her thoughts and shattered her sense of relief. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had forgotten about the second Perrserker. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It had already sent a Max Steelspike at her, and Kiyuki tried to get Cornelius to fly up. But he wasn’t fast enough, and the attack slammed into them. Kiyuki got flung off from the impact, landing a short ways away and skidding across the ground. The landing knocked the air out of her, and her hands stung as the rocks and dirt of the path cut through her skin. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She coughed, trying to get some air in before the Perrserker gave another screech. Kiyuki was way too close to the Perrserker. A few steps forward and it would easily step on her. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fortunately, Cornelius had managed to get up, and was barreling towards the Perrserker. He was able to draw its attention away from Kiyuki lying on the ground, and it raised a massive paw to swat at him. Kiyuki lifted her head to look around for Flicker and found him a short ways away. He had gotten knocked out and was lying on the ground, his flames dim and small. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another screech from the Perrserker pulled Kiyuki's gaze back up. The Corviknight looked tiny next to the Perrserker, like a tiny Bug-type Pokémon buzzing around its head. Kiyuki tried to get some air in so she could at least give him some commands, but the sudden intake of breath caused her to cough again. All she could do was watch. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But a burst of fire suddenly came from behind the Perrserker. It screeched, abandoning its attempts to hit Cornelius and started to turn around. It was enough of distraction for Kiyuki to finally get enough air in without coughing, and yell for Cornelius to hit it with a Body Press.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just as he landed his attack, the ground shook and cracked beneath the Perrserker as well. The combined hits were finally enough to take it down, and it gave one final screech as it shrunk in a pillar of flame. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki didn’t entirely know what was going on, or who else had attacked the Perrserker from behind. Cornelius landed next to her a moment later, bending down to nudge her with his beak and giving her a quiet, concerned squawk. Kiyuki lifted herself up off the ground so that she was kneeling on the ground instead of laying flat on her face. “I’m fine, Cornelius. Just a little winded. You did great,” she rasped. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her gaze flicked away from Cornelius when she heard someone calling her name, seeing Leon running towards her with Raihan close behind, both of them looking panicked. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! You all right?” Leon yelled, “where’s the third one?!”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m fine, Leon. I got that one already. What in the name of Arceus is going on?” Kiyuki asked, keeping her voice low to avoid straining it. She stood up, leaning on Cornelius until she was certain she hadn’t hurt an ankle or something. The cuts on her hands stung when she grabbed Flicker’s Ball from her belt and returned him, causing her to wince. The dirt and gravel had gotten ground into her skin, leaving dozens of tiny cuts leaking blood when she brushed it out. But that seemed to be the worst of her injuries.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you sure? You’re pretty scratched up there,” Raihan added. There was another crunch of gravel next to her as Flygon landed, buzzing his wings at her. She stretched out a hand for Flygon to sniff, then scratched him on the side of his head using her fingertips that weren’t bleeding. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good to see you again, Flygon,” she whispered, then turned back to Raihan. “Yes, I’m fine. Why are there Perrserker Dynamaxing in the middle of the Route?” </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No idea. I think Chairman Rose was testing something again,” Leon said. His Charizard landed next to him, bumping Leon’s shoulder with its nose. “That all of them?” Leon asked, and Charizard growled in response. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait! There was another Perrserker in the tunnel!” Kiyuki exclaimed, looking back towards the tunnel. The Perrserker that she had seen earlier was nowhere to be found. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Relax, we took care of it.” Leon waved his hand, then crossed his arms in front of him. “And that was incredibly dangerous, Kiyuki. Why didn’t you just hide in Spikemuth and wait for us to get here?” Leon said, giving her a look that said he seriously disapproved. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It had already seen me and would’ve followed me in! Then it would’ve destroyed the city and we would have an even bigger problem. And how was I supposed to know you were coming anyways?” Kiyuki retorted, crossing her arms and staring back at Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m the Champion! It’s my job to deal with situations like this!” Leon exclaimed, his disapproving look remaining. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I’m not entirely incapable, you know. I can handle a Perrserker, Dynamaxed or not. Well, alright, maybe not three of them—” Kiyuki added, “—but the one would’ve still followed me!”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That was still incredibly reckless, and you’re extremely lucky you didn’t get seriously hurt.” Leon told her off, but Kiyuki expected that. “Go back to Hammerlocke. There’s a clinic there that will take a look at your hands. And no detours!”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned back to Raihan with a sigh. “Can you go with her? I trust you to make sure she doesn’t get into any more trouble. I’ll clean up here.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan nodded, and waved his hand at her. Flygon took off again, flying above them as he chased after Cornelius towards the tunnel. Kiyuki quickened her pace to catch up to Raihan, who had already started walking. She could hear Leon talking to the reporters that had emerged from Spikemuth, but Raihan stayed silent. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am actually fine, you know. I wasn’t going to do anything,” Kiyuki said once they were out of earshot. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re bleeding,” he said simply, and Kiyuki shrugged. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Only a bit,” she said. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Leon won’t admit it, but you’re right. That Perrserker would’ve followed you into Spikemuth. And although it was reckless, I agree with him on that, you did, in a way, save the town by fighting it,” Raihan said, finally turning his head to meet her gaze. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>That sounds an awful lot like praise. </em>Kiyuki thought to herself, but just shrugged. “It was really the only option. And I did beat Piers, I think I can handle a Perrserker.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh yeah! Good job on your Gym Battle, too. How did you get into Spikemuth anyways?” Raihan asked, smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Marnie let me in. She knew another entrance, but wanted to battle me first,” Kiyuki replied. “Although I’m a little surprised she didn’t battle Piers before I did.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan nodded, then glanced over his shoulder behind him for a second. Kiyuki turned her head too, but there was no one there. He lowered his voice. “How’s that egg doing, by the way?”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Ah, making sure no one would overhear us.</em> “Oh! She’s doing good. She evolved right before I went into Spikemuth.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled. “A female, huh? Did you name her?”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, “Sacha.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sacha,” Raihan repeated. “Good name.” </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were quickly approaching the end of the tunnel, but Raihan spoke up again. “Hey, can you promise me something?”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure, what?” Kiyuki asked, a little surprised. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bring her out when you battle me in a few days. It’s good that you told those reporters that you were going to the Lake of Outrage, so I don’t think anyone would suspect anything. They’ll assume you caught her there,” he said. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I was intending to do that anyways,” Kiyuki smirked at him, and Raihan grinned. He was about to say something else, but cut himself off when they stepped out of the tunnel. Kiyuki heard someone calling her name, and waved at Hop when he sprinting towards the tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! What happened? You’re bleeding!” Hop called, his eyes widening when he saw her hands. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wild Dynamax Perrserker. I’m fine though,” she replied, waving his concern off and giving him a quick summary of what happened. Most of the cuts had stopped bleeding now, leaving only a sticky feeling as the blood started to dry. There was just the one on the palm of her left hand that was still persistently bleeding and was starting to stain the sleeve of her hoodie. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s wicked, mate! You don’t look fine, though. This is mad…” Hop shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, Hop. Not wanting to cut your conversation short, but I’ve gotta get Kiyuki here to the clinic in Hammerlocke. Your brother’s down by Spikemuth if you want to go see him.” Raihan chimed in, tapping Kiyuki on the shoulder to get her attention. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Of course! Sorry! Thanks, Raihan, and I’ll see you later, Kiyuki!” Hop waved at them, taking off running again down the tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, but I think that could be considered a detour. And you’re still bleeding,” Raihan said, starting to walk again. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fair enough,” Kiyuki shrugged. She followed him again, watching the castle walls of Hammerlocke slowly come back into view. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Summary:</p><p>Kiyuki finds herself in a bad situation soon after defeating the Spikemuth Gym, when a wild Dynamax Perrserker suddenly appears. She manages to defeat the first one, but the second one catches her by surprise. It knocks her off Cornelius, injuring her hands in the process. Leon and Raihan help defeat it, and Leon tells her off for being reckless and not hiding in Spikemuth when it first appeared. He tells Raihan to take her back to Hammerlocke to the clinic. On the walk back, Kiyuki gives Raihan an update on her Sliggoo.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Heal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second chapter today. There are still mentions of blood in this chapter as well, but only at the very beginning. Still, be mindful if that bothers you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The clinic turned out to be on the right side of Hammerlocke, so Kiyuki and Raihan didn’t have to walk much further once the dirt path of Route 7 gave way to brick roads. The doors slid open for them, and the receptionist at the desk looked up from her computer and raised a hand to wave at them. “Hello, Gym Leader! How can we help you?” She asked, smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is there a nurse available that can take a look at Challenger Kiyuki, here?” He asked, before using his fingertips to gently lift up Kiyuki’s left arm so the receptionist could see her hand. The sudden contact caused her to jump a bit, but she turned her hand over so the receptionist could see the palm of her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh dear. We’ll get a nurse out here right away. Can you tell me what happened, Gym Challenger?” She said, giving Kiyuki a wide-eyed stare and pressing a button on the desk. Kiyuki told her what happened, and the receptionist typed a few notes on the computer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The nurse came out a few moments later, took one look at Kiyuki and immediately pulled her into the back of the clinic into one of the rooms. She sat her down and immediately starting wiping off the dried blood that coated her hands, and the cuts on her face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were way more cuts than Kiyuki thought, and they all stung with whatever was on the wipes the nurse was using, causing her to wince. She could see herself in the mirror, and it seemed like her hands had taken the worst of it. There were a few cuts on her face as well, but they were all quite small. Most of cuts had closed up too, except for the one large cut on her left hand, which was still bleeding quite a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm…” The nurse said, glancing at the computer with the notes the receptionist had typed up. “Fighting two wild Dynamax Perrserker? You’re extremely lucky you weren’t hurt anymore than this. There’s a piece of stone stuck in this one, I’m going to need to pull that out, OK? It’s gonna hurt a bit.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Just get it over with.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The nurse grabbed a pair of tweezers and Kiyuki braced herself. Unfortunately, the stone was quite deep, and it hurt way more than just a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ouch!” Kiyuki yelped once the nurse finally got a grip on the stone and pulled it out. She cleaned the cut one more time, then wrapped both her hands in bandages. They made Kiyuki feel a bit like a Dusclops. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The nurse handed her a roll of bandages and a tube of some sort of cream. “Put that on twice a day and change the bandages when you do. I assume you’ll be in Hammerlocke for a few more days since you’re a Gym Challenger, so come back in 5 days, please. And hold off a few days before challenging the Gym Leader.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She had intended to challenge Raihan tomorrow, and she was looking forward to their battle as much it sounded like he was. The nurse ushered Kiyuki back to the clinic lobby. Raihan was still there, much to Kiyuki’s surprise. Sonia had arrived too. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s not allowed to challenge you for at least 5 days, my orders. And I’ll know if she does,” the nurse immediately told Raihan before he could get a word in, jabbing a finger at him accusingly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan held up his hands in defence. “All right, all right. We’ll wait,” he said, and the nurse gave him another look before she returned to the back of the clinic. He shot Kiyuki a grin once the nurse turned her back, and she returned it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right there, Kiyuki? Sounded like it hurt,” Sonia asked as they were leaving the clinic. The three of them wandered slowly back in the general direction of the Stadium, but Kiyuki didn’t really have a plan of where she was going next. Sonia and Raihan didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry either. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, fighting the Perrserker or having a rock pulled out of my hand?” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I meant the rock, but I guess both,” Sonia laughed. “Shame that you can’t challenge Raihan now for a few days.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” Kiyuki said, glancing back at Raihan, who gave her another small smile. “I can still go train though. The nurse just said I couldn’t challenge him, but she didn’t say anything about training. And I’ll probably lose it if I’m just sitting around.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re going back to the Lake of Outrage?” Sonia asked, and Kiyuki nodded. A moment later, Hop and Leon came running up. Leon and Sonia discussed what happened for a moment, until a familiar voice came from behind them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gran?!” Sonia exclaimed, shocked as Professor Magnolia stepped closer to the group. “What’re you doing here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The chairman called for me. He wanted to know all about the red light’s relationship to the Dynamax phenomenon,” she replied.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did the chairman know anything about this?” Leon asked, but Magnolia shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nothing worth my time. The chairman’s all wrapped up in fretting over the future of our energy, apparently. He’s left everything to that executive lady. We just don’t have enough data. That’s why I wanted to ask you to start looking into things, too, Sonia. You know more than anyone about the Darkest Day, after all.” She said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia gasped. “Are you saying that red light and the Darkest Day are connected?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Professor…” Kiyuki interjected, and Magnolia turned towards her. “Is the Chairman trying to use Dynamax as an energy source, perhaps?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia thought for a moment. “That’s a possibility. There’s still much we don’t know about the Dynamax phenomenon, so I don’t think we’re anywhere near that point yet.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s got to be something we can do to help!” Hop chimed in, and Kiyuki nodded in agreement, ready to offer her help in any way she could. But Leon just shook his head and smiled at them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks! I appreciate the thought you two,” he said. “But all I could ever ask of you would be that you join me in the greatest final match ever. I’ll do my part to make that happen by keeping everybody’s future safe. So you just keep on doing your part by winning your way through the Gym Challenge! I know you’ve still got to challenge Piers, little brother. And I expect Kiyuki will be challenging Raihan soon.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope. 5 days. Nurse’s orders, and I’ll get an earful if she challenges me before then,” Raihan chimed in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah… that’s unfortunate. I know you two were looking forward to battling each other.” Leon said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki shrugged. “Means I’ve got a few more days to train before I beat him. It just delays the inevitable,” she said, shooting a smirk at Raihan. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hah! You wish. You’re not getting past the great Raihan!” He laughed. “I should probably go get the Gym ready, though. There’s going to be more Challengers coming soon now that Spikemuth is actually open. I expect that I’ll be seeing you in a few days. And stay out of trouble this time, would you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Got it. See you later. And thanks again,” Kiyuki told him. He waved at everyone else and gave Kiyuki another smirk before disappearing into the stadium. She felt her face heat up yet again, and dropped her gaze to the ground before Hop or Sonia noticed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gran, there’s something I want to look into. You’ll help me, right?” Sonia said to Magnolia, who agreed. The two said goodbye and headed off in the direction of the vault, leaving Kiyuki with Hop and Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Looks like we all know what we need to do. So, Hop. You get back to Spikemuth and beat Piers. And Kiyuki, make sure you challenge Raihan once you’ve gotten healed up. And you need to stay out of trouble. You’ve put yourself in too much danger already. Let the adults handle this.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right, of course. You’re the unbeatable Champion, after all.” Hop grinned at Leon, and they both headed off in the direction of Spikemuth after saying goodbye to Kiyuki. She was left alone on the street, staring up at the Stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wanted to battle Raihan right now. It was the one Gym Battle she had been looking forward to since she first met him after defeating Kabu, and now she had to wait even longer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sighed and let Nimbus out of her Ball. The Altaria gave a small hum and gently brushed her wings against Kiyuki’s bandaged hands. They still ached, and there was a small spot of blood on the bandages on her left hand where that particularly nasty cut was. But Kiyuki reassured the Altaria that she was fine.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki’s stomach growled. She hadn’t realized it was so close to dinner time, so she motioned for Nimbus to follow her to the cafe down the road. The streets were relatively quiet, just a few people passing by with armfuls of groceries, presumably going back to their homes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The cafe, on the other hand, was much busier. There was a crowd of people clustered around what looked like a board game on a table, while others chatted amongst themselves. Nobody payed any attention to her, which Kiyuki appreciated. It was nice having people recognize her, but she wanted to lay low for a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Despite the crowd, there were still a few tables that were empty, so Kiyuki walked up to the counter. She glanced up at at the menu, taking a moment to think before ordering macaroni and cheese for herself, and a Pecha and Mago berry salad for Nimbus. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki chose a table off to the side and sat down, watching the TV in the corner of the restaurant. The reporter that she had been talking to must’ve still been recording, because they were showing footage of her battling the Dynamax Perrserker in front of Spikemuth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She watched herself flying around on Cornelius, repeatedly dodging the Perrserker’s attacks while she drew it away from the city. She watched Flicker finally knock it out, before the second Perrserker attacked. They showed the hit that knocked her off Cornelius, causing her to wince again. Not her finest moment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then the footage changed. It showed security camera footage from the tunnel of Raihan and Leon fighting another Dynamax Perrserker. She watched Raihan come barreling into the camera’s range on Flygon, before he jumped off and rolled as he landed to absorb the impact. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flygon wasted no time and attacked, joining Leon’s Charizard in the battle. The two Pokémon defeated the Perrserker in mere moments, and Kiyuki remarked just how in sync Leon and Raihan were. They coordinated their attacks perfectly, ensuring they weren’t hitting each other. But then again, they’ve known each other for clearly quite some time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They said something to each other before running out of the range of the security camera. Kiyuki knew they were running towards where she would’ve been battling the second Perrserker at that point. The footage switched back to the news anchors at the desk. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At that point, the waiter brought her meal out. It was delicious, and Nimbus seemed to be enjoying her salad as well. Kiyuki glanced back up to the TV. They were playing the subsequent interview with Leon, who was assuring that the public wasn’t in any danger. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The news cut to some commercials next, so Kiyuki pulled out her phone, since Nimbus wasn’t a great conversationalist. The first thing she checked was the League website, curious how many Gym Challengers were left. They had a list there, but most of them were greyed out now, with the remaining Challengers at the top. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She quickly counted them. Including her, there were 8 left. Hop was the only one that didn’t have the symbol of the Dark Badge lit up next his name, but Kiyuki knew that was because he hadn’t challenged Piers yet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Marnie had unsurprisingly defeated Piers, but the rest of the remaining Challengers were names she didn’t recognize. It seemed like a lot of Challengers had dropped out when they were unable to beat Gordie, and she counted 6 that couldn’t beat Piers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She still had about a third of her macaroni left, and there were still commercials playing on TV. She closed the League website and flipped to her Pokégram account that Sonia had talked her into setting up. Even though she hardly posted anything, she had noticed that she had been gaining more followers as she progressed through the Gym Challenge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Apparently 24 more people had followed her since she had last checked a couple of days ago. She scrolled through the list, seeing if there was anyone she knew that she could follow back. The first 23 names were unfamiliar, but she stopped at the last one. Raihan_241</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>No way… </em>She thought, tapping on the name. Sure enough, it was him. She scrolled through his most recent posts, which included a bunch of selfies, a picture of Flygon, and a picture of a sandstorm. She scrolled back up to the top of the page and followed him back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Chocolate cake for Challenger Kiyuki.” The voice of the waiter caused her to jump, and she hastily shut off her phone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t order any cake. I think you have the wrong table,” Kiyuki told him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The waiter shook his head and placed the cake in front of her anyways. “It’s on the house,” he said, walking away before Kiyuki could say anything. She noticed there was a small piece of paper that was tucked underneath the plate, and pulled it out and unfolded it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Thank you for what you did today! You’re a real hero! </em>The note read. No signature, but there was a small crayon sketch of a Chandelure and a Corviknight underneath. Kiyuki smiled. <em>Cute. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The chocolate cake was delicious too. But Kiyuki could only eat about a third of it before she started getting full. She took the rest to go, payed her bill and headed off to the hotel, hoping they still had a room available. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next 5 days were absolute agonizing boredom for Kiyuki. She spent most of each day in the Wild Area, wandering and flying over every corner she could find. To waste even more time, she had also spent way more time that was likely needed just messing around with flying on Cornelius. But they could do loops now, which turned out to be quite fun. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On the last day that she had to sit out, she had taken a taxi back to Motostoke to buy a TR for Ice Beam and taught it to Sacha. Then spent the rest of that day in her hotel room watching the Gym Battles on TV. Now, 6 out of the 8 remaining Challengers had already faced Raihan. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yet, only two had defeated him, being Marnie and another Trainer named Mark. Out of the remaining four, three of them hadn’t managed to get through the Gym mission. The one that did got absolutely destroyed by Flygon and Gigalith. Even Marnie and Mark were down to just their final Pokémon when they finally defeated Raihan. At this point, Hop and Kiyuki were the only ones that hadn’t battled him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Kiyuki had noticed something quite interesting by watching the battles with the other Gym Challengers. Raihan was doing Double Battles. It was certainly a big change from what Kiyuki had been doing so far, what she was used to. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After the five days were up at long last, Kiyuki found herself back in the Hammerlocke clinic as the nurse checked her hands. Most of the smaller cuts had healed up, including the ones on her face, leaving just the large one on her left hand that was being problematic. The nurse cleaned it again and wrapped her left hand in bandages again, but Kiyuki noticed that she left her right hand alone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So… can I challenge Raihan now?” Kiyuki asked her once she had finished. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The nurse stayed silent for a moment, checking the bandage again before smiling at Kiyuki. “Yes, you’re good to go. Good luck, Challenger!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Yes! </em>Kiyuki thought, grinning. She said goodbye to the nurse and resisted the urge to sprint to the Stadium immediately. She walked quickly, soon reaching the Stadium and heading inside, going straight to the Gym Trainer at the other end of the castle-like lobby. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The long Gym Challenge is nearing its end, I see. You are Challenger Kiyuki, are you not?” The Gym Trainer said, and Kiyuki nodded. “The Gym Leader said you would probably be coming today. He’s waiting for you if you’re ready to face the Gym.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “I’m ready. I’ve been looking forward to this.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Gym Trainer pointed her to the changing room, and she went inside. She quickly threw on her uniform, nearly putting the shirt on backwards in her hurry. Once she had made sure everything was on correctly, she came back out and crossed the lobby again, smiling when she heard some people cheering for her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That uniform you wear is a symbol of all your victories. I feel your determination. Now, head to where all the Gym Trainers await… No, not the stadium, but the vault!” The Gym Trainer told her, much to Kiyuki’s surprise. <em>The vault? Alright then… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She did feel a little strange and out of place walking down the street in her Gym Uniform, but smiled when she heard more people cheering for her. She pushed the heavy vault doors open with her shoulder, stepping inside. The Gym Trainer at the desk gave her a wave and pointed her upstairs. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once up the stairs and at the door leading into the circular stone chamber containing the tapestries, Kiyuki paused for a moment, taking in a breath. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, the noise of the city disappearing as the door closed behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan was in the middle of the room, tapping at his phone with 3 Gym Trainers behind him. “I had a feeling you’d be coming today. Got the clean bill of health?” He said as she approached, his gaze flicking up to her as he slipped his phone into his hoodie pocket. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded. “Enough to battle at least.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A little bored, weren’t you? Saw you flying around in the Wild Area,” he smirked at her, and Kiyuki felt her face heat up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“W-well how do you it was me and not a wild Corviknight?” She asked, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wild Corviknight don’t do loop-de-loops,” he answered, his smirk changing to a grin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright, got me there,” Kiyuki shrugged and matched his grin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anyways, time to explain the great Raihan’s Gym mission! The rules are simple! All you’ve got to do is defeat three Gym Trainers that I personally trained — in Double Battles!” He said. Kiyuki was expecting the Double Battle, but she had no idea what these three Trainers would be doing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan continued talking. “The Gym Challenge is meant to be, well… challenging, wouldn’t you say? Naturally there aren’t too many Gym Challengers who can make it this far. And that’s why I provide a format where you can really show off the brilliant combinations you and your Pokémon should be capable of! You’re up, Sebastian!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stepped off to the side, crossing to the wall and leaning up against it, watching her. The male Gym Trainer, Sebastian, stepped up in front of Kiyuki, taking Raihan’s place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Leader Raihan has taught me two things! First, that Dragon types are ferociously powerful! Second, I need to create an advantage on the battlefield to fully utilize that power!” Sebastian said, sending out a Pelipper and a Sliggoo as Kiyuki sent out the first two Pokémon in her party, which happened to be Nimbus and Flicker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as the Pelipper’s Drizzle activated, and the rain started to fall. Kiyuki froze, unable to breath as her thoughts reeled, her carefully constructed plan for Double Battles fraying and dissolving in an instant. Memories assaulted her, and instead of rain in the Hammerlocke vault, it was rain in Sootopolis. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could hear Kyogre’s cry ringing out over the city, and her desperate yells to her father as he ran out into the rain to get Bagon. The rush of the accompanying flood carrying shards of the broken dam and anything that had gotten caught up in its path. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had a sudden urge to run to the door, forgetting the Gym Challenge, she just needed to get out. <em>It’s going to flood, people are going to die, I’m going to die… I need to get out! </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But her feet felt like lead. Slowly, a song began to creep into her thoughts, a song that was definitely not a part of the memories. It was Nimbus, and the song slowly pulled her out of her panic and allowed her to shove the memories back down, to where they couldn’t hurt her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus was singing a Galarian folk song they had heard a musician playing in Hammerlocke yesterday. But the song gave Kiyuki a much needed reminder of where she was. She was in Hammerlocke, not Sootopolis. It was a Pelipper creating the rain, not Kyogre. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And there was still a Gym mission she had to complete. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sebastian had attacked while she was distracted, setting up a Tailwind and hitting Flicker with a Water Pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah… sorry, Flicker. I’ll-I’ll get you out of there. N-Nimbus, Dragon Pulse that Sliggoo. And Flicker, switch out,” she stammered, forcing the memories away and trying to focus on the battle. The rain kept trying to drag the memories back out, but Nimbus kept her song up, keeping Kiyuki grounded. She kept reminding herself where she was, trying to keep her mind clear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t look at Raihan as she finally sent out Sacha into a battle. Sebastian had ignored Nimbus, and he had aimed both a Water Pulse and an Air Slash at where Flicker was, but Sacha took both attacks easily. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I am in Hammerlocke. Pelipper is creating the rain. </em>“D-dragon Pulse again, Nimbus! Sacha, Thunderbolt that Pelipper!” Kiyuki called, forcing herself to ignore the rain again as it clawed at her memories again. Sebastian’s team was faster from the Tailwind, and this time he aimed both attacks at Nimbus, an Air Slash and a Dragon Pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I am in Hammerlocke. Pelipper is creating the rain. </em>Kiyuki called out a few more commands, and Nimbus kept singing as she flew around the Air Slash and countered the Sliggoo’s Dragon Pulse with her own. The two attacks met, pushing against each other for a moment before exploding in a cloud of smoke. Out of the corner of her eye, Kiyuki saw the flash of a Thunderbolt slam down on the Pelipper, instantly knocking it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I am in Hammerlocke. Pelipper is creating the rain. </em>Just Sliggoo was left, but Kiyuki had an idea. It was something else she vaguely remembered from several years ago, something her father had done in a Double Battle much like this. That memory had seemingly gotten dredged up as well, but this one she welcomed. “Dragon Pulse, both of you. Nimbus, fly down to Sacha and combine your attacks.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She just hoped this would work. Nimbus dove under the Sliggoo’s Dragon Pulse, landing next to Sacha. “Now!” Kiyuki yelled, and they both simultaneously shot their attacks at the opposing Sliggoo. Both beams of raw Dragon-type power combined and intensified, creating the shape of a dragon out of crackling energy. It was actually quite beautiful, and reminded her why she liked Dragon-types so much. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The unfortunate Sliggoo didn’t stand much of a chance, and quickly went down. The rain stopped with the battle over, and Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief, feeling her thoughts clear up. The feeling of panic gripping her heart and constricting her throat also dissipated. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She spared a quick glance at Raihan as Sebastian returned to the back of the room. His gaze met hers for a moment, the blue almost glowing in the dim shadows, but looked more worried than anything. Kiyuki quickly averted her gaze to the floor. He told the second Gym Trainer, Camilla, to battle next, giving Kiyuki enough time to switch her team around. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She quickly healed up Flicker, but switched him out from the front slot of her party for Cornelius. Nimbus stayed at the front as well, then Kiyuki looked up at Camilla and nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sebastian had been using rain, and Camilla was using sun, sending out a Turtonator and a Ninetales. Now Kiyuki was seriously regretting switching out Flicker. But her thoughts were much clearer now that she was out of the rain, and was quite enjoying the sun, letting it dry her Gym uniform out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sighed. “Sorry, Cornelius, I’ll switch you out. Nimbus, use Hyper Voice in the meantime.” Switching Cornelius out turned out to be the right move. Camilla’s Turtonator stood its ground, its shell blazing with a Shell Trap while the Nineties shot a Will-o-Wisp at where Cornelius was. Kiyuki brought in Flicker, who absorbed the hit with his Flash Fire ability, glowing brighter in response. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now Kiyuki was in a good spot. “Nimbus stay low to the ground and Dragon Pulse that Turtonator. Flicker, keep those Fire-type attacks off Nimbus and Shadow Ball the Ninetales,” she commanded, more confident this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Camilla’s Turtonator went for another Shell Trap, but Kiyuki wasn’t concerned. Neither of her Pokémon were using any physical moves that would set it off. The Ninetales tried to Will-o-Wisp Nimbus, but Flicker floated in front of the attack. It landed on him instead, but he absorbed it again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Both of Kiyuki’s attacks did sizeable damage, but both of Camilla’s Pokémon weren’t down yet. The Ninetales tried to Flamethrower Nimbus, but Flicker blocked it and knocked out the Ninetales with another Shadow Ball. Nimbus’ Dragon Pulse finished off the Turtonator before it could even react, causing the sunlight to fade. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan called the last Trainer, Aria, up. Kiyuki was starting to notice a pattern with the Gym Trainers, being that they were all using different weather conditions. Sebastian used rain, Camilla used sun, and she knew Raihan used sandstorm. Meaning Aria was probably using hail. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki left Cornelius at the front of her party and switched Nimbus for Flicker. Hail meant Ice-type attacks, which were very bad news for a Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon. Kiyuki nodded at Aria, and sent out Flicker and Cornelius. Kiyuki was right and she was using hail, sending out Abomasnow and Hakamo-o. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Flicker, Flamethrower the Abomasnow. Cornelius, Drill Peck the Hakamo-o,” Kiyuki commanded. The hail didn’t have the same effect on her as the rain did, but it was still cold and annoying, so Kiyuki wanted to finish the battle quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Abomasnow didn’t stand a chance. Flicker was considerably faster and the attack was extremely effective, knocking it out in a single hit. Cornelius dove down on the Hakamo-o with a Drill Peck. The dragon tried to dodge, and only got grazed before recovering and dashing at Flicker, readying a Shadow Claw. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Trap it, Flicker!” Kiyuki called, watching the familiar purple flames break off from Flicker and stop the Hakamo-o in its tracks. “Fly up, Cornelius and get ready to Drill Peck. And Flicker,” Kiyuki smirked at the Chandelure as he laughed, “toss it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Flicker flung the helpless Hakamo-o into the air, giving Cornelius a clear shot. He slammed into the Hakamo-o, finishing it off. Aria recalled the defeated dragon, congratulating Kiyuki. She stepped back as Raihan returned to the centre of the vault.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nice one, Kiyuki! You’ve completed my Gym mission! Come on. Time to head to the Gym Stadium. You’ve earned the right to face me yourself!” He said, smiling at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He waved his hand, and the Gym Trainers filed out, leaving them alone. Kiyuki turned to leave as well, but Raihan spoke up again. “You’ve got a fear of water.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stopped, stiffening. It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. What did he think of her now, having seen her break down like that just from a little rain? She said nothing, not turning around. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve had a suspicion since you battled Nessa, and you always avoid the water in the Wild Area,” he added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t want to talk about it.” Kiyuki said quickly, still facing the door and seriously considering just making a run for it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was just going to say that you did remarkably well facing your fear like that,” he said, his voice not holding any of his usual teasing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki finally turned, meeting his gaze. He was smiling slightly, and there was no contempt in his expression. She still said nothing, but nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Also, fog will also trigger a Sliggoo’s evolution,” he added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Kiyuki asked, confused. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sliggoo. Normally it needs to be in the rain to evolve, but fog will also trigger the evolution. So you don’t have to go back into the rain,” Raihan said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Oh. </em>“Thank you,” Kiyuki said quietly, feeling like an idiot for not knowing that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anyway, to the Stadium with you. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, you know,” he said, shooing her out of the vault. He walked alongside her until they got to the Stadium, then left to go to the other entrance. Kiyuki made her way back through the lobby and through some hallways before stepping into the familiar dark tunnel. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Raihan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we are at least, the first battle between Kiyuki and Raihan! This one was a lot of fun to write. I've always preferred double battles over single battles, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got to his Gym when I was playing through the game. His Gym battle was quite a lot like a strategy that I commonly run into in competitive matches, so that's really cool.</p><p>Also, this will probably be the last team recap that I'll be doing. Every Pokémon has their permanent moveset now, except for Nimbus. She's going to learn Moonblast a bit later, but since Altaria doesn't learn that until level 55, it's not very realistic to have that now. But you'll know when that moveset change happens.</p><p>Team recap:<br/>Nimbus (Altaria): Hyper Voice, Dazzling Gleam, Dragon Pulse, Cotton Guard<br/>Cornelius (Corviknight): Drill Peck, Body Press, Iron Head, U-turn<br/>Flicker (Chandelure): Flamethrower, Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball<br/>Hallow (Mimikyu): Play Rough, Shadow Claw, Swords Dance, Shadow Sneak<br/>Hylla (Sandaconda): High Horsepower, Rock Slide, Iron Head, Glare<br/>Sacha (Sliggoo): Dragon Pulse, Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was strange to think this was her last Gym Battle, the last time walking down this tunnel. Kiyuki had no idea how this battle would go, but she had decided she wouldn’t challenge him again if she lost. Becoming the Champion didn’t matter to her, she just hoped she could give Raihan the battle he was hoping for. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">From watching the other Gym Challenger’s battles, she knew he would be leading with Flygon and Gigalith. She had Nimbus and Cornelius in the front of her party to counter that, and a plan in place. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The crowd was cheering and yelling when she stepped out onto the pitch, seeing Raihan appear on the other side. They met in the middle, and he grinned at her, one hand on his waist and the other holding his phone. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I knew you would make it here, and that I could expect no less from a Pokémon Trainer that Leon saw promise in. And you aim to defeat Leon… Do you have any idea just how high a hurdle that is? As his greatest rival, I guess that I—Raihan—will have to show you!” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">With that, he gave her a quick smirk, and turned. Kiyuki also stepped back as the noise of the crowd rose, sensing the battle was about to begin. <em>Here we go. Now or never. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Like the previous battles, Raihan led with Flygon and Gigalith. Kiyuki led with Nimbus and Cornelius, since they’ve been on her team the longest, they have the best chance of working the best together in a Double Battle. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gigalith roared, starting up a sandstorm. “Let the winds blow! Stream forward, Sandstorm!” Raihan yelled. He was crouched down and his eyes almost glowed through the sandstorm, with his Rotom Phone floating behind him. Kiyuki met his gaze, noticing he was grinning. <em>He’s really in his element here, and enjoying this. This is not going to be easy. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She grinned back at him, being no stranger to working in sandstorms herself, then broke her gaze away from his. “Alright! Nimbus, Dragon Pulse Flygon. Cornelius, Iron Head that Gigalith!” She yelled, extending her hand out as she gave her commands. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Flygon was much faster than Kiyuki anticipated, and moved into action when Raihan called for a Breaking Swipe. <em>Breaking Swipe? What’s that? </em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Turns out, it was a Dragon-type attack that hit both her Pokémon, and also lowered their attack. The attack drop wasn’t a problem for Nimbus, but it meant that Gigalith was able to shrug off Cornelius’ Iron Head and set up a Stealth Rock. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>Shoot. That’s bad. </em>Nimbus was able to land her Dragon Pulse, fortunately, doing sizeable damage to Flygon. <em>One more of those should do it to knock out Flygon. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Flygon came barreling at Cornelius next, readying a Thunder Punch. Kiyuki had Nimbus use Dragon Pulse again, which didn’t connect, but forced Flygon to veer to the side and break off his attack. Flygon soared overhead, looking for an opening. It reminded Kiyuki immensely of their encounter at the Lake of Outrage. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Which gave her an idea.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">This time, Kiyuki called for Nimbus to Hyper Voice the Rock Blast that Raihan’s Gigalith sent at her, and for Cornelius to chase after Flygon. Nimbus blasted the rocks away from her, so Kiyuki turned her attention back up, where Flygon and Cornelius were wheeling through the air. But they weren’t playing this time as Flygon attacked with Thunder Punch again.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Dive, Cornelius!” Kiyuki yelled, and Cornelius tucked in his wings and barrelled towards the ground. Flygon followed. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was immensely hard to coordinating the moves of two Pokémon at once, and Nimbus got hit with a Rock Blast from Gigalith while Kiyuki was trying to command Cornelius. Kiyuki had her Dragon Pulse the Gigalith, and turned her attention back to Cornelius. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He was fast approaching the ground, but Kiyuki waited until the last moment. “Loop!” She yelled, and Cornelius angled his wings so he shot back up and turned himself so he was above Flygon now. Flygon reoriented himself surprisingly quickly and barrelled at Cornelius again, eerily similar to the Lake of Outrage. Kiyuki just hoped Cornelius remembered too. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Wing tip, Cornelius! Remember!” She yelled, smiling when it looked like Cornelius did in fact remember. He flapped his wings once and soared around Flygon, but stretched out his talons and caught the tip of Flygon’s wing with his talons. The sand dragon roared as he lost control and went crashing into the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki briefly caught Raihan’s gaze again. He looked surprised, and maybe even a little impressed. It seemed like he remembered that too. Flygon recovered remarkably quickly, and shot at Nimbus this time with a Breaking Swipe. “On your right, Nimbus! Dragon Pulse! Cornelius, Iron Head the Gigalith!” She called. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Nimbus was forced to dodge another Rock Blast, and Flygon got incredibly close when she hit him with Dragon Pulse. The two attacks collided in a cloud of smoke, then both dragons fell out of the air. Somehow, they had knocked each other out simultaneously. The crowd cheered again, chanting something that Kiyuki couldn’t make out. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>Huh, can’t say I was expecting that to happen. </em>Kiyuki thought, both her and Raihan recalling their defeated Pokémon. “Impressive!” He called to her from across the field, still grinning. “But this isn’t over yet!”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She grinned back at him. This was certainly the most intense Gym battle she’s had so far, but also the most fun. And it was only getting started. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She knew Raihan’s Sandaconda would be coming in next, so she sent out Sacha to deal with it. Gigalith and Cornelius were still battling, but were both very low on health. The sandstorm was also starting to dwindle. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sacha, Ice Beam that Sandaconda. Cornelius, keep Gigalith distracted!” Kiyuki yelled, meeting Raihan’s gaze again as she extended her hand. He was quick to order both his Pokémon to gang up on Cornelius, but his eyes widened momentarily when the Ice Beam came out. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His Sandaconda hissed when the Ice Beam hit, but struck out at Cornelius with a Fire Fang when he was dodging Gigalith’s Rock Blast, catching him in the wing. Cornelius squawked as he went crashing into the ground, before the Gigalith knocked him out with a follow-up Rock Blast. Sacha wasn’t fast enough to help him, and Raihan’s Sandaconda blocked the next Ice Beam with a Protect. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Great job, Cornelius.” Kiyuki said, recalling the defeated Corviknight. “Let’s finish this, Hylla!” She called, sending out her own Sandaconda. Hylla hissed at Raihan’s before coiling up, waiting for directions. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But now Raihan’s Sandaconda and his Gigalith were both low on health, and one more super effective hit would finish both of them off. Which was exactly where Kiyuki wanted them. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s finish these two off! Sacha, Ice Beam the Sandaconda again! Hylla, get rid of that Gigalith with a High Horsepower!” Kiyuki yelled, having faith that her team was faster than Raihan’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Hylla attacked first, striking at the Gigalith and finally finishing it off. It went down with a roar, and Sacha’s Ice Beam appeared a moment later, crackling through the sandstorm. Raihan’s Sandaconda was quite difficult to see through the storm, but Kiyuki had enough practice with Hylla to spot the familiar patterning. The Ice Beam slammed into Raihan’s Sandaconda as it was attempting to Fire Fang Hylla. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered and roared as both of Raihan’s Pokémon went down in the same turn. He looked shocked at being down to his final Pokémon already, but met Kiyuki’s gaze again as the sandstorm dissipated entirely. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It might be impossible to pull off a combo going solo, but it’s not impossible for me to still win!” He called, sending out his final Pokémon. Duraludon roared, and the volume of the crowd rose in response, starting to sing. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Bring the storm! My partner will send everyone in the stadium flying!” He yelled again, drawing Duraludon back into his Ball and Gigantamaxing it. His phone whirled around in front of him and snapped a photo before he threw the Ball behind him. Kiyuki watched Duraludon grow in size, turning into the massive metallic skyscraper Kiyuki first saw months ago on an airport TV. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>The first Pokémon I ever saw in Galar… and now I somehow end up facing it in battle. </em>“Come on, Hylla! We’re not about to be outdone, or about to lose!” Kiyuki yelled, returning Hylla to her Ball and Dynamaxing her. The massive snake Pokémon coiled up behind Kiyuki, letting out a hiss that reverberated around the Stadium as the crowd cheered some more. Still, she was only about half the size of Duraludon.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sacha, Dragon Pulse! Hylla, use Max Quake!” Kiyuki yelled, grinning at Raihan. She knew she held the advantage by making sure Duraludon was alone, but she knew better than to underestimate it. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s do it… Time for our G-max Depletion! The dragon’s roar will cut right through you!” Raihan yelled in response, slashing at the air with his hands. But despite being backed into a corner, he was still smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Unfortunately for poor Sacha, Duraludon moved first. He attacked with a whirling, draconic tornado that crackled with red lightning. It completely engulfed Sacha and instantly knocked her out. Kiyuki swore under her breath.<em> I should’ve switched her out.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Hylla’s attack came a moment later, crackling through the ground and hitting Duraludon from below. It didn’t knock out, unfortunately, and the G-Max Depletion had taken its toll on her as well. It had reduced the PP of High Horsepower, reducing the number of times she could use it. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Out of her remaining Pokémon, Hallow was the best option to send out, even though she was weak to Steel-type attacks. Her disguise would buy Kiyuki an extra attack, and she was pretty certain that Raihan couldn’t knock out Hylla in one hit. She hoped.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Raihan seemed to realize that Kiyuki was about to win when she sent out her Mimikyu, his smile faltering for a moment, before returning. Kiyuki called for a Shadow Claw and another Max Quake, while Raihan tried to knock out Hylla with G-Max Depletion. Hylla remained in the battle, and Raihan’s attack only succeeded in causing her to restart the sandstorm. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Hylla hissed again as she sent out the powerful Max Quake out again, slamming into Duraludon once again. Duraludon couldn’t withstand the second attack, and exploded in the pillar of flame, roaring as he shrunk back down. Raihan returned him to his Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki turned to watch Hylla shrink as well. <em>I…I won. </em>That was something she hadn’t expected at all. She quickly ran a hand over Hylla’s skin, telling her she did great, before returning both her and Hallow to their Balls and turning back to Raihan. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head, slumped over for a moment, before standing back up with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. “Huh. Well, I might have lost, but I still look good. Maybe I should snap a quick selfie…” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed. “You go do that,” she said, stepping forward to the centre of the pitch again. He met her there, opening his eyes and matching her smile. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“In the aftermath of the furious battle… I feel as pure and refreshed as when the sky clears after a storm. I’m glad to see my faith in you wasn’t misplaced,” he said, and Kiyuki felt her face heat up and flicked her eyes back to a small pile of sand at her feet. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His smile widened as he continued. “What can I possibly say? Calling myself Leon’s rival? Seems I’d grown quite conceited for someone who can’t even claim the title of Champion! Overconfident in both myself and my team! I’ll give you what you want, then. The proof of your victory—the Dragon Badge!”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He stepped forward, pulling the badge out of his pocket. Kiyuki smiled as he handed it to her and shook her hand, before allowing her to snap it into her Badge Ring, filling the final spot. She stared at it for a moment, not really believing that she had somehow managed to defeat all the Gyms.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Although…” He said, and Kiyuki looked up, “I’m not letting you off the hook without a selfie, so come here!”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki laughed, but stepped closer anyways, smiling as his phone whirled in front of them, snapping a photo. He was still smiling at her as he quickly checked the photo, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So you’ve got all the Gym Badges now, so all you’ve got left to do is to win your way through the Semifinals and Finals for your chance to challenge Leon! You must! You owe us that much at least, for beating us in battle here today!” He said, smirking at her once more before heading towards the tunnel out of the stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki also turned and returned back to the locker room, pausing once she stepped inside to catch her breath and let her racing heart slow down. She processed what just happened, the fact that she’s somehow managed to actually get all the Gym Badges. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">And maybe, just maybe, she had a bit of a crush on the Dragon-type Gym Leader.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Dragon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki stepped out of the locker room after getting changed and gathering her thoughts, which became all scattered again when she realized Raihan was waiting for her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Forgot to ask you, all good if I post that selfie? I’ll tag you,” he asked, his eyes flicking up from his phone and meeting hers, causing Kiyuki’s heart to speed up again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure, no problem,” she replied, trying to keep her thoughts and speech somewhat coherent. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I got a few things for you here too. As a sign of my respect. Here’s the TM for Breaking Swipe, and Dragon-type Gym Uniform,” he added. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Thank you,” Kiyuki said. “Ah, also, can I just say that battle was the best one I’ve ever had?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan grinned at her, causing Kiyuki to internally curse at how her thoughts turned to mush. “Likewise! That was the best battle I’ve had in a long time, probably since my own Gym Challenge. It was everything I had hoped for from you, and more.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, that’s high praise, coming from you,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged, laughing as well. “I mean every word. You battled extremely well!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now Kiyuki really felt like her face was on fire. Raihan clearly noticed and smirked at her, before waving her towards the exit. He walked alongside her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I couldn't help but notice that you did the exact same thing against Flygon that I did to knock you out of the sky at the Lake of Outrage,” he said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s where the idea came from. I’m surprised it was that effective,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, it clearly worked. I’ll have to keep that in mind for future battles…” He commented. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They kept chatting about the battle as they walked. Eventually, the simple stone hallway gave way to the carpeted castle lobby of the Stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now the only Challenger that I haven’t battled yet is…” Raihan started to say, but was cut off when that exact Gym Challenger came running up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Raihan! I’m here to see just how good you are! Hey, Kiyuki! You won?” Hop shouted, slowing his run and waving. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know it!” Kiyuki told him, returning his smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There you are, Hop! I was just saying that you’re the only Gym Challenger that hasn’t challenged me yet. Don’t worry—I’ll give you a battle that’ll make you want to quit the Gym Challenge altogether!” Raihan said, his confident smirk returning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve tried out lots of different strategies, and I’ve made up my mind about how I want to battle. I’m not going to lose! I’m gonna beat you, and Kiyuki, and even Lee!” Hop grinned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Raihan smiled, and turned back to Kiyuki. “I’ll be seeing you, Kiyuki! We’ll definitely have to have another epic battle someday! You’ll want to take the train to Route 10 next, and head to Wyndon.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not quite, I’ve got something to do in the Wild Area first,” Kiyuki told him, and he smiled, seeming to know what she was talking about. She then turned back to Hop, “and I’ll wait for you, Hop. So go beat him! I’ll meet you back here!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Kiyuki! I’ll see you later! Oh! By the way, Sonia and Professor Magnolia are waiting for you outside,” Hop told her, before disappearing into the locker room. Raihan waved at Kiyuki before heading back into the Stadium, presumably to go find his Gym Trainers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki headed back through the lobby, smiling and waving at the people that cheered for her as she passed. Fortunately, there were no reporters around, so Kiyuki was able to head straight out of the castle. The sunlight beamed down on the city, momentarily blinding her, and she raised her hand to shield her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey there, Kiyuki!” She heard someone say, blinking a few times until her eyes adjusted and Sonia and Magnolia came into view. She waved back at Sonia with her bandaged hand, crossing the drawbridge to meet them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You gave Raihan a good thrashing, and that means you’ve completed the Gym Challenge! Congratulations, from the bottom of my heart!” Sonia said, smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! I heard that!” Kiyuki jumped as Raihan’s voice came from behind her. He brushed past, followed by his three Gym Trainers. “Would love to stay and talk, but I gotta get to the vault.” He said, disappearing around the corner. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia laughed. “Someone’s got to knock you down a peg or two!” She called after him, before turning back to Kiyuki. “I really wish we could go celebrate, but I think there’re some things we should talk over.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded, smiling. “How about we talk over food? I could use a snack of some sort, I’m starving.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excellent idea, dear,” Magnolia smiled at her. “Have you tried the lemon scones here yet?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The three of them made their way to the cafe, and Kiyuki sat down with Magnolia while Sonia went to order for the three of them. They chatted about tea and Pokémon battles until Sonia returned with 2 mugs of tea and one of coffee, along with a small assortment of pastries. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wanted to talk to you about that light that covered Hammerlocke, when the wild Pokémon started Dynamaxing on the Route,” Sonia said to Kiyuki as she sat down. Kiyuki glanced up, not saying anything since her mouth was now full of lemon scone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was just like the Darkest Day, where it’s said that giant Pokémon went on a rampage and almost destroyed the entire Galar region,” Sonia added, her gaze alternating between Kiyuki and Magnolia. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It certainly seems to be that way, my dear,” Magnolia replied, and Kiyuki nodded in agreement as well. “As you know, we Dynamax our Pokémon today using the energy from Wishing Stars. But we still don’t know how to fully control the energy behind Dynamaxing or how the two heroes managed to do so. In fact, we’re not even really sure who—or what—the two heroes actually were.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The legendary sword and shield… Gran, Kiyuki and I have a theory that the heroes were actually Pokémon. What do you think?” Sonia said, taking a sip of her coffee. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm… it’s a possibility. What makes you think that?” Magnolia asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki, bring out your drawing. The Pokémon that her and Hop ran into in the Slumbering Weald looks exactly like one of the two Pokémon in the statues at Stow-on-Side.” Sonia replied, bringing up the photos of the statues on her phone. Kiyuki dug through her bag and pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to the correct page. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hadn’t realized it until now, but she hadn’t drawn anything since doing that drawing of the wolf Pokémon. Most nights, she had been way too tired to do anything besides collapse on her bed. But she wanted to do one of her team eventually, now that it was complete. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki finished her scone and took a sip of her tea. Magnolia was right, the lemon scones were quite good. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Magnolia pushed her glasses up her nose and compared the pictures on Sonia’s phone with Kiyuki’s drawing. “Fascinating… You may be correct about that,” she said, handing Kiyuki’s sketchbook back to her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sonia, my dearest…” She continued speaking to Sonia, smiling. Kiyuki just drank her tea and watched. “My lab coat is yours now.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sonia eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. “A-are you sure, Gran? I still haven’t finished the work you’ve assigned me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Think of this as something to help you finish that work,” Magnolia said simply, slipping her arms out of her lab coat and handing it to Sonia. The surprised look stayed on Sonia’s face as she switched her brown jacket for the lab coat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Professor Sonia!” Kiyuki grinned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y-yeah!” Sonia smiled back at her while twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The two heroes that protected the Galar region from the Darkest Day… And the legend of the sword and shield you just mentioned… It’s up to you to figure out the truth behind it all.” Magnolia told her, still with the kind smile on her face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know, Gran! I’ll do what I can! Kiyuki or Hop could be the one to take down Leon, and I don’t want to miss that! Not to worry—you can count on me to take care of everything!” Sonia grinned excitedly, still twirling her hair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You go on, Kiyuki! Just focus on getting to Wyndon. Head to the station, or you’ll miss your train!” Sonia added, turning back to Kiyuki.. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki quickly finished her tea. “Not yet, I’m waiting for Hop to beat Raihan, then we’ll catch the next train together. I’ve got to something to do in the Wild Area first anyways. Thanks for the tea!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s battle was currently playing on the TV in the corner of the cafe, clearly indicating that he had cleared the Gym mission. The battle had only just begun, neither him or Raihan having lost any Pokémon yet. As much as she wanted to stay and watch, she needed to go find some fog now or she might not get another chance to evolve Sacha. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She said goodbye to Sonia and Magnolia, then walked out of the cafe. She automatically went to the staircase leading to the massive dragon head that would take her to the Wild Area, pulling out her phone as she walked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turning it on, she saw a notification from Pokégram. Apparently Raihan had posted the picture at some point before he battled Hop, and Kiyuki took a closer look at it. It really was a good photo of them, and Kiyuki was surprised that she didn’t look as terrible as she thought she did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She saved it to her own photos, then read the caption. <em>Truly epic battle with @Kiyuki_334. Congrats on finishing your Gym Challenge! #Gymchallenge114 #Dragon-type</em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki smiled, and double tapped on the photo to like it herself. She went to flip to the weather app to see where there was some fog in the Wild Area, and stepped out of the dragon head before the app would even open. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Straight into a wall of fog. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Well, that’s convenient. Did he know that? </em>Kiyuki thought, but then shrugged and brought Sacha out of her Ball. She was certainly close to evolving, and was larger than before with her horns more defined. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki closed the weather app and brought up the live stream of Raihan’s Gym so she could keep an eye on Hop’s battle. She kept her phone floating next to her, pausing to watch the battle for a moment. Hop had managed to knock out Raihan’s Gigalith, but Flygon seemed to be giving him a lot of trouble and just knocked out Dubwool. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki knew there was a wild Gourgeist that would give plenty of experience near the cliff next to the Lake of Outrage, so she headed that way first. Sacha followed her, and Kiyuki kept her pace slow so the Sliggoo could keep up. She defeated a couple of Honedge and Morelull on their way over, but it took Sacha defeating the Gourgeist for her to finally become engulfed in the blue light again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki grinned, watching Sacha’s outline grow taller, with her tail and horns becoming more structured and powerful. She had forgotten just how large Goodra actually were, and the dragon Pokémon towered above her when the light finally faded.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sacha gave Kiyuki a happy gurgle, closing her eyes and opening her mouth to match Kiyuki’s smile. Kiyuki stood on the tips of her toes to scratch the Goodra behind her horns. “Nice job, Sacha! Now we’re ready for the tournament… I can’t believe we’re already there.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sacha made another little noise, and pulled Kiyuki into a hug, covering her in slime. At least it didn’t burn her this time. Kiyuki laughed and hugged the Goodra back, but glanced up at her phone when she heard cheering. Raihan was Gigantamaxing Duraludon again, while Hop was Dynamaxing his Snorlax. By the looks of it, Hop was down to his last two Pokémon, and Raihan still had both Duraludon and Sandaconda. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Come on, Hop! You can do it! </em>Kiyuki thought, grabbing her phone out of the air and holding in both hands. Sacha bent down and put her head on Kiyuki’s shoulder, also watching the battle. Kiyuki took one hand off her phone and ran it against the side of Sacha’s head. “You’re adorable, you know that?” She told the Goodra, who gave another happy gurgle in response. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The battle was down to the wire. Duraludon moved first, hitting Hop’s Snorlax with a Max Knuckle. Impressively, his Snorlax managed to tough out the hit. Snorlax responded with a Max Quake that slammed into Duraludon, but didn’t quite finish it off. But Hop’s Umbreon finally knocked out Raihan’s Sandaconda, leaving only Duraludon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop still had both Pokémon, but they were both very low on health. Duraludon’s G-Max Depletion came out next, tearing at Hop’s Umbreon and knocking it out. Hop looked a little panicked as he recalled it, but he still had his Snorlax. He ordered another Max Quake that finally finished off Duraludon.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes!” Kiyuki cheered, “he did it, Sacha!” The Goodra made a little noise again in response. “Let’s head back, I promised I’d meet him at the Stadium.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki recalled Sacha back into her Ball, then tried to wipe as much of the slime off as she could before running back to the city entrance. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Blizzard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop was just coming out of the Stadium with Raihan when Kiyuki dashed back into the lobby, weaving around the crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! I had Raihan beat in no time! Once I got my head on straight and stopped doubting every decision I made, that is… Heh!” He grinned and waved at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you never stopped nattering on through the entire battle… You’re pretty different from the Champion in that! But your strength is genuine, as proven by the Dragon Badge you won from me. You came at me with all the force of a raging storm, and even I was blown away!” Raihan said, grinning at Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I knew I had you the whole time! Although Kiyuki’s battle was absolutely wicked too!” Hop laughed. “By the way, mate, when did you get a Sliggoo?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Caught her at the Lake of Outrage the other day, when I was still waiting for my hands to heal,” Kiyuki said, hoping that Hop would believe the lie. Raihan’s gaze flicked to hers, making sure she was still keeping their secret. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh yeah! Forgot that you had those few extras days to train!” Hop said, seemingly dropping the matter. Much to Kiyuki’s relief. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, you two. Listen up!” Raihan said, and Kiyuki turned back to him. “Battle your way through the Champion Cup tournament to face Leon! One of you ought to!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I reckon I’m still the favourite to win, but I’m up against my true rival, Kiyuki… So I’ll wring out every last thing I learned during my battle with you, Raihan, to beat her! And I’ll do it this time for sure!” Hop grinned, excited and ready to go. “So let’s get a move on, Kiyuki! The train’s waiting!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With that, Hop grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. Kiyuki heard Raihan laugh behind her, but didn’t look back and quickened her pace to match Hop’s. They ran together to the train station, and Kiyuki could hear the people on the street cheering for both of them. She smiled at the sight.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The train was a few minutes away from leaving when they finally got there, so they quickly bought their tickets and boarded. They wandered through the cars as the train started to pull away, until they eventually found a seat next to a window as it picked up speed. Kiyuki leaned back and stretched her arms over her head, watching the castle walls of Hammerlocke pull away before pulling out her phone and checking for any notifications. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re finally headed for Wyndon! There’s a ton I want to check out there. There’s that big tower…and the monorail… And Wyndon Stadium, where the whole of Galar—no, the whole world is gonna be watching us!” Hop said, tapping on his phone a few times before glancing up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Have you been there, Hop?” Kiyuki asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded. “Mum took me to watch some of Lee’s battles there a few years ago, but I haven’t been in about 2 years, I’d say.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s kind of strange, actually. My flight landed at the Wyndon airport 5 months ago… And here I am, somehow ending up back where I started,” Kiyuki replied, shutting off her phone and slipping it back into her pocket. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Except it’s not like where you started. You’re stronger now! You could probably say that your legend started in Postwick. Just like mine!” Hop said earnestly, also placing his phone down on the table. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>I didn’t think I’d be coming back to Wyndon unless I was getting on a flight back to Hoenn. </em>Kiyuki thought, but she didn’t say anything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But you get it, right? You and me are gonna make our match there the greatest match that ever was! And this time, I’ll beat you! Then beat everyone in the Finals! Then beat Lee!” He grinned, practically bouncing with excitement. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The train started to slow soon after, so Kiyuki double checked that she had everything before following Hop out onto the platform and out of the station. She was immediately hit with a blast of cold air, causing her to immediately shiver. <em>Could’ve warned me about the cold, Sonia… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So this is Route 10! It’s like a wall made out of snow! Bet there’ll be Ice-type Pokémon crawling out of the woodwork in a place like this!” Hop said, seemingly unbothered by the cold even though he had the sleeves of his jacket rolled up.He turned back to Kiyuki, laughing when he saw her shivering after being on the Route for a grand total of 35 seconds. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, mate! It’s not that cold! I reckon we’ll be able to train ourselves up to new heights here, before the Champion Cup starts! I believe in myself and the Pokémon on my team, and I know we’ll all get loads stronger! So I’m off! See you in Wyndon, mate!” He called, before running off into the snow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki dropped her backpack onto a bench in front of the train station, quickly rummaging through it to find the warmer clothes she had bought in Circhester. She switched her light hoodie for her heavier winter jacket, toque, and scarf. They helped, but it was certainly colder here than it was there. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop had also mentioned there were plenty of Ice-type Pokémon around here, so Kiyuki brought Flicker out of his Ball to deal with them. “Come on. Hopefully it’ll be a little warmer in Wyndon.” Kiyuki told him, her voice slightly muffled by her scarf. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unfortunately, the light snow that had been falling outside the train station turned into a howling blizzard as Kiyuki climbed the hill. The wind stung her ears and face, and she pulled her scarf up over her nose and pulled her tuque down, ducking her head. But there was nowhere to go but forward. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And there were tons of Ice-type Pokémon around. Sneasel and a variant of Mr. Mime continuously chased after her, but Flicker defeated them all. He even defeated a powerful Abomasnow that attacked them. Kiyuki kept forcing her way through the storm, but it kept getting more intense the further she got. It didn’t help that she couldn’t see the wild Pokémon until they attacked, and Flicker was even becoming more difficult to pick out of the snow.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The blizzard kept up, leaving Kiyuki cursing the fact that she was starting to lose feeling in her fingers. A silhouette emerged from the snow, massive with huge claws and coming straight at her. A Beartic. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“F-Flicker! Fl-Flamethrower!” Kiyuki called, her teeth chattering. Flicker was running out of moves at this point, but he used his last Flamethrower to defeat the Beartic. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki squinted through the blizzard once the Beartic went down, trying to figure out which way to go.There seemed to be an open area to her left, but it looked like a dead end. To her right, it looked like another massive hill with more Trainers on it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With Flicker almost out of moves, Kiyuki pulled him back into his Ball and went up towards the hill. She defeated the first Trainer, then the second one. The blizzard kept getting more and more intense as she pressed forward, and she could barely see the outline of the third Trainer up ahead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, the third and forth Trainers it turns out, and they challenged Kiyuki to a Double Battle. Nimbus and Hylla made short work of their Pokémon, and Kiyuki kept climbing the hill. The blizzard now blocked everything out, completely surrounding her in white snow. The howling winds bit at any bit of exposed skin and through her gloves, causing Kiyuki feel like she was about to turn into a Froslass from all this snow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Until she reached the top of the hill, when the storm abruptly stopped. The snow disappeared and the wind cut out, allowing Kiyuki to open her eyes and pull her scarf down so it was no longer covering her face. The quick transition from howling blizzard to sunshine and green grass was unusually sudden, but gave her a clear view of the city in front of her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Wyndon… I’m back where I started. </em>She pulled her toque and gloves off as she walked down the path, seeing the outline of a huge Corviknight statue through the arched brick gate. The path changed from dirt to brick once she passed through the gate. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki hadn’t really taken a good look at the city when she was first here months ago, but she did now. Brick and stone buildings lined the streets, with the huge plaza stretching out in front of her. A large screen on the corner of one of the buildings displayed advertisements, and she could see a huge Ferris wheel and clock tower jutting out further into the city. There was another massive tower straight ahead, silver with green wrapped around it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was huge, much bigger than Hammerlocke or Motostoke. Kiyuki could also see the Stadium to her right, looking extremely different than the other stadiums she had battled in. This one was more like a flower, a rose. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You made it, mate!” Hop waved at her, seemingly having been waiting for her. “Wyndon City! This is the place where I become a legend at last! You get it, don’t you, mate? After all, I’m about to become the new Champion of the Galar region!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m headed straight for Wyndon Stadium! You coming, mate?” He grinned, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki shook her head. “Not yet. I want to explore a bit first! But I’ll come soon!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right! Don’t waste too much time, Kiyuki!” He said before running off down the road to the Stadium, disappearing into the crowd.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki went the other way, wanting to do a bit of shopping and getting excited when she noticed a clothes shop further down the road. She quickened her pace and stepped inside as the doors slid open for her, heading to the corner of the store to look at their hats. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She just had a sports cap with the League symbol on it, but it didn’t quite match with the rest of her usual outfit, which was her typical navy blue striped t-shirt and blue jeans. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Looking at the hats they had for sale, Kiyuki noticed that the sports caps here had the symbols of some of the Gyms emblazoned on them. Some even had symbols representing types that didn’t have a Gym, like Electric and Bug. Kiyuki scanned the hats, wondering if they had one symbol in particular, and soon found it. She picked up the hat with a navy blue brim and the symbol of the Dragon-type Gym on it. <em>Perfect, and it matches! </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki took a quick look through the rest of the clothes, but decided not to buy anything else besides the hat, and put it on right away. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, then thanked the clerk and left the store. There were also other stores along the street, but none of them were worth going into right now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took her time walking back across the city and weaving around the crowds, feeling mildly nervous once she turned onto the street leading up to the Stadium. People cheered for her as she walked, and smiled and waved at them before stepping into the Stadium. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The cheering remained inside as well, coming from the spectators on the balconies above the lobby. Kiyuki’s nervousness stayed, still simmering. Screens above the check-in desk showed snippets of previous battles, showing scenes like a Cinderace battling an Inteleon. The scene changed, showing a battle between Raihan and Leon, both of them Gigantamaxing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tore her eyes away from the screens as she walked up to the desk. Hop stood a little off to the side, typing on his phone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Challenger Kiyuki, yes?” The League staff asked as she stepped up, and she nodded. “We’ve been watching over your performance in the Gym Challenge. This is just a formality, of course, but I’ll need to check your Gym Badges, if you don’t mind.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki pulled out her completed badge ring, showing it to the staff. He typed something on the computer. “All right, you’re registered and ready to go. The Semi-Finals will begin tomorrow at 9 o’clock, but you need to be here and checked in by 8:30,” he said, and Kiyuki nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop didn’t seem to notice her come up to him, still typing on his phone. He jumped a bit when she poked him in the shoulder, hurriedly shoving his phone back in his pocket. “Hey! Got yourself registered, mate?” He said, recovering from his surprise with a grin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki nodded again, returning his smile. She was tempted to ask what he was doing, but Hop continued talking before she could. “Brilliant! Now we’re both all sorted and I’m ready to battle you on the biggest stage of them all! But it looks like Bede couldn’t make it. Hard luck… Somehow I didn’t think he’d just take being disqualified lying down, you know what I mean?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think fate has something else in store for him,” Kiyuki replied, smiling when she remembered what had happened with Opal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I guess it is what it is… Come on, Kiyuki. Let’s head to the hotel. Gotta get rested up for tomorrow!” He smiled, and Kiyuki followed him back out of the Stadium.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Semis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki took a deep breath, sitting on the bench in the Wyndon Stadium locker room the next morning, tapping her foot against the ground and trying to calm her nerves. Hop was at the front of the room, practically bouncing with excitement and staring at the TV, waiting for his first battle to begin. Marnie was a few benches away, quietly talking to her Morpeko. The other Challenger, Mark, was pacing at the back of the room and muttering to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!” Kiyuki heard the voice of Chairman Rose coming from the Stadium, and glanced up to the TV as the cameras zoomed in on the smiling chairman that had just stepped onto the field. “Thank you all for being here this fine morning for the Semifinals of the 114th annual Galar Gym Challenge!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd cheered, and the chairman waited a moment for them to quiet down. “62 Gym Challengers embarked on the greatest challenge in all of Galar 5 months ago. Now, only 4 remain, that have successfully defeated all the Gym Leaders! We have Challenger Mark, number 839, endorsed by Gym Leader Melony!” He called, pointing to the large screen at the back of the Stadium. A photo of Mark appeared, and the crowd cheered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Next, we have Challenger Marnie, number 960, endorsed by Gym Leader Piers!” The crowd cheered a little louder as Marnie’s photo appeared on screen, much of the noise coming from a little section of the seats that were occupied by Team Yell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A League staff appeared into the locker room and called Marnie and Mark over. They wordlessly followed him out, although Marnie briefly glanced back at Kiyuki and Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Next, we have Challenger Hop, number 189, endorsed by Champion Leon!” The crowd cheered even louder as his photo appeared on the screen. Hop glanced back up at the TV and grinned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And lastly, we have Challenger Kiyuki, number 334, also endorsed by Champion Leon!” She got about the same amount of cheering as Hop did, which made her even more nervous. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re ready to begin our first battle of the Semi-finals, which is Challenger Mark versus Challenger Hop! Let the battles begin!” The chairman finished, and left the field. The roar of the crowd increased, and Kiyuki watched Hop take in a breath and shake out his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good luck, Hop!” Kiyuki told him, and he turned his head just enough to smile at her, before heading out into the Stadium. Kiyuki watched on the TV as Mark came out the other side, meeting Hop in the middle before stepping back to begin the battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki watched the battle with rapt attention. Hop led with his Dubwool, and Mark led with a Weavile. Then she realized that if Hop was battling Mark, that could only mean she was up against Marnie. Then the winners of the two matches would presumably be facing each other to determine who moved on to the Finals. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Facing Marnie worried Kiyuki immensely, since she knew just how strong she was. She took another look at her team, and decided it would be best to lead with Hallow instead of Nimbus like she had originally planned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glanced back up at the TV, watching the battle for a moment. Hop’s Dubwool had been knocked out, and so had 2 of Mark’s Pokémon. Hop’s Corviknight was battling Mark’s Darmanitan, and although it looked like he had an advantage, all it took was a super effective Flare Blitz from Darmanitan and Corviknight was knocked out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki kept taking deep breaths as she watched the battle. Hop’s Pincurchin defeated Mark’s Darmanitan, but was defeated by Mark’s Cinderace. The Cinderace then fell to Hop’s Snorlax, leaving Mark’s final Pokémon against two opponents. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His last Pokémon turned out to be an Aegislash, and he Dynamaxed it. The gigantic Aegislash immediately switched to blade form and quickly finished off Hop’s Snorlax, leaving just his Umbreon. Hop Dynamaxed it, and it looked like he had a type advantage. Kiyuki just hoped for his sake that Aegislash didn’t know anything super effective. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop’s eyes widened when the Aegislash attacked with a Max Knuckle. Kiyuki swore and held her breath as it connected, raising Aegislash’s attack, but Umbreon was still standing. Hop returned the hit with a powerful Max Darkness, but Umbreon survived as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on, Hop!” Kiyuki said, more so to herself. His Umbreon still managed to survive the next Max Knuckle, then finished off the Aegislash with a second Max Darkness. “Yes!” Kiyuki cheered, matching the roar of the crowd.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Umbreon shrunk back down and Hop returned it to its Ball, then met Mark in the middle of the pitch to shake hands. Mark looked sad and disappointed, but gave Hop a quick smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And that concludes our first match of the Semi-Finals! Challenger Hop moves on to face the winner of our next match, Challenger Marnie versus Challenger Kiyuki!” Chairman Rose’s voice rang out over the field, and Hop and Mark left the field. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Challenger Kiyuki, we’re ready for you.” A League staff poked her head around the corner, and Kiyuki nodded. She took another deep breath and wiped her sweaty palms off on her shorts, before standing up and leaving the locker room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mouth felt dry and her hands were shaking when she started walking down the tunnel, the roar of the crowd pressing down on her ears once she stepped out onto the field. She had to force her feet forward, seeing Marnie coming out of the other tunnel. <em>Come on, keep it together, Kiyuki. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Heh. I knew you’d get all the Badges and meet me here,” Marnie started to say as they met in the centre of the pitch. Kiyuki noticed that her hands were also slightly shaking. “I know that there’s been a lot between us, what with my big brother, Team Yell, helpin’ Spikemuth and all that… but the truth is, when all’s said and done… I really just wanna become Champion for myself! So don’t take it personal when I kick your butt!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not going down that easy, Marnie! But nothing personal, either,” Kiyuki replied, managing to keep her voice steady. Marnie nodded at her, then both of them turned and walked out to the battling lines, hearing the noise of the crowd steadily increase. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Marnie sent out her Liepard, Kiyuki forgot about her nervousness. She let herself focus completely on the battle, bringing out Hallow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve gotta win this if I’m gonna be the Champion! I’m comin’ at ya with everythin’ I’ve got! Nasty Plot, Liepard!” Marnie called to Kiyuki across the field. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Swords Dance, Hallow! Then jump!” Kiyuki called, anticipating an attack. She would like to keep Hallow’s disguise up as long as possible. The Mimikyu sharply raised her attack, then leapt into the air just in time for the Liepard’s Snarl to pass harmlessly beneath her. “Follow it up with a Play Rough!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hallow touched back down on the ground, then leapt at Liepard again, who didn’t manage to get out of the way in time. It went down in a single hit. The crowd yelled and cheered again, starting to chant. Marnie recalled the defeated Liepard without a word and sent out Toxicroak in its place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hallow’s claws came out from underneath her rag, slashing at the air in the general direction of the Toxicroak. Play Rough wasn’t super effective anymore, and there was a higher chance the Toxicroak could avoid it. “Shadow Claw!” Kiyuki called. Hallow stopped waving her arms around, and the tips curled into dark claws.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She flung herself at the Toxicroak, slashing at it. It staggered from the hit, but spit Toxic at Hallow, leaving her badly poisoned. She made a pained noise, shuddering from the poison. “I know, Hallow! Try to ignore it and use Shadow Sneak!” Kiyuki called, having to yell to be heard over the cheering of the crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hallow made a noise in confirmation, before melting into shadow and appearing again behind the Toxicroak. It couldn’t do anything despite the warning shout from Marnie, and Hallow slashed at it, finally finishing it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki recalled Hallow once Toxicroak went down, since the poison was starting to add up. She still had her disguise intact, so Kiyuki could always bring her back out later once the timer was reset. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sent in Nimbus in her place, while Marnie sent out her Scrafty. Nimbus’ Dazzling Gleam came out first, the light battering the Scrafty. It took the hit, but stood its ground and remained in the battle. It growled as stomped its foot as it used Swagger. Nimbus became confused, shaking her head and squawking to try and clear it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Break through it, Nimbus! Dazzling Gleam again!” Kiyuki called, smiling as the cloud dragon managed to shake the confusion just enough to narrow her eyes at the Scrafty and finish it off with a second Dazzling Gleam. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki caught Marnie’s eyes widening for a moment, the crowd somehow getting even louder. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Morpeko was next, and Kiyuki remembered how it had battled outside of Spikemuth a few weeks ago. It was fast, and used the tactic of continuously launching itself at Nimbus with Bite. She hadn’t tried it then, but Kiyuki realized that it might be small and light enough to be blasted back with a Hyper Voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sure enough, Morpeko immediately dropped to all fours and dashed at Nimbus, readying a Bite. “Hyper Voice, Nimbus!” Kiyuki called. The Altaria shook her head again, fully snapping out of her confusion and blasting the incoming Morpeko with a Hyper Voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Like Kiyuki was hoping, Morpeko got blasted back, skidding across the grass on all fours. It switched forms to the purple one, then angrily chattered at Nimbus. She squawked in return, rising up into the air. <em>Torment… I won’t be able to keep blasting it away with Hyper Voice, but I don’t think a Dazzling Gleam will knock it out yet. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Morpeko switched back to its yellow form, then launched itself at Nimbus again. Kiyuki was still figuring out a plan, so she called for a Cotton Guard in the meantime. When Morpeko’s Bite landed, it did very little damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By this point, Kiyuki had been Morpeko battle enough to know that its behaviour changed between forms. But what she could use to her advantage was that it became more reckless in the purple form. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She might be able to catch it if she timed it right. “Nimbus, ready a Dragon Pulse and wait for my signal,” Kiyuki told the Altaria, who hummed in response and starting gathering the purple Dragon-type energy around her beak. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The purple Morpeko flung itself at Nimbus again, snarling at her. “Now!” Kiyuki yelled, extending her hand forward just as the Morpeko was about to land its attack. Nimbus released the Dragon Pulse, the energy condensing into a beam that slammed into Morpeko, knocking it down to the ground and pushing it back. It still wasn’t knocked out, but a follow-up Hyper Voice was all it took to finish it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd yelled, chanting some more as they saw that Marnie was down to her last Pokémon, while Kiyuki still had her entire team. Kiyuki could hear the signature noise of Team Yell, occupying their little section of the stands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve got everyone’s cheers backin’ me! I’m really, really gonna win this time, got it? My bro might not use it… But I’ll Gigantamax my Pokémon if it’s to win!” Marnie yelled, bringing out her Grimmsnarl. Kiyuki also switched Nimbus out for Cornelius. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She Dynamaxed Cornelius, while Marnie Gigantamaxed her Grimmsnarl. Cornelius’ roar echoed around the stadium, with Grimmsnarl matching it. Both Pokémon towered over their Trainers, shrouding the cheering crowd and the entire Stadium in red light. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cornelius moved first, sending out a Max Steelspike that battered Marnie’s Grimmsnarl. But it took the hit, remaining standing and still in the battle.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I worked real hard trainin’ my favourite move, just so I could use it in a battle against you!” Marnie yelled, calling for a G-Max Snooze. The move connected with Cornelius, sending out waves of dark energy and causing the Corviknight to droop his head. <em>Same effect as Yawn… We need to finish this quickly. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s finish this, Cornelius! Max Steelspike!” Kiyuki yelled up at him. The metallic spikes appeared again, the super effective hit cutting at the Grimmsnarl. The second hit was too much for it to take, and Grimmsnarl became engulfed in a pillar of flame as it shrunk back down. The crowd exploded in cheering as Marnie recalled her defeated Pokémon back into his Ball, and Kiyuki turned to watch Cornelius shrink as well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He landed next to her, and stretched out his wings and squawked at Marnie. “Great job, Cornelius. Get some rest, we’re up against Hop next.” She placed her hand on the Corviknight’s shoulder for a moment, brushing her hand against his metallic feathers before pulling him back into his Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She met Marnie back in the middle of the pitch. She looked disappointed, but spoke first all the same. “Everyone in the stadium was watchin’ us durin’ all that… I heard them cheerin’ for me and my Pokémon. It was nice… And they were cheerin’ for you too… I may have lost, but at least we drove the audience wild! Guess that’s not so bad!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks for the great battle, Marnie. You’re a fantastic rival, and I hope we’ll get to have another battle someday.” Kiyuki smiled at her, stepping forward to shake her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Think I’ll join my brother in the stands, and we’ll watch from the sidelines to see who ends up challengin’ the Champion. Just so y’know, I still haven’t decided if I’m gonna cheer for you yet, but good luck! See ya!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With that, they both walked to the exit, with a League staff meeting them there. He pulled Kiyuki away, bringing her back to the locker room, where Hop was waiting. He was sitting on a bench bouncing his leg, but jumped up when she walked in.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki!” He grinned at her. “That was wicked, mate! I’ll be waiting for you in the final match! And this time I’ll win for sure! I may not have defeated you yet, but I will this time!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Challenger Hop, if you would come with me please. Challenger Kiyuki, you have 5 minutes for a break before the final match begins,” The League staff said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“See you out there, mate!” Hop grinned again before disappearing out the door with the League staff to the other side of the stadium. Kiyuki was left alone in the locker room, taking the 5 minutes to get some water and heal her team. She was trying to calm her nerves again when the League staff returned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Challenger Kiyuki, it’s time for the final match. Please proceed to the pitch.” Kiyuki nodded, taking another deep breath and walking out through the doors. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The 5 minute break after her battle with Marnie felt more like 5 seconds for Kiyuki. She soon found the League staff calling her back up, and Chairman Rose’s voice ringing out over the Stadium as she stepped into the dark tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, ladies and gentlemen! We are ready for the last match of the Semifinals, Challenger Hop versus Challenger Kiyuki! Both Trainers endorsed by the Galar region’s greatest Champion… I think we can expect a marvellous battle from these two! The winner will advance to the Finals, and battle their way to the Champion himself!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The noise of the crowd rose again when Kiyuki stepped out onto the pitch, seeing Hop appear from the other side. They met in the middle as always, turning to face each other. But this battle was very different than all the others they’ve had. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just had this sort of flashback, you know. Remember? Back when we were still in Postwick. When we had our first battle, Swablu versus Wooloo, I never would’ve dreamed that I’d end up standing here… facing you, of all people,” he said, glancing around at the crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ve come a long way since that first battle,” Kiyuki agreed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop stopped looking around and grinned at her. “But it’s time I finish what was started that day… Got it? The one who’ll become the Champion is me!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They both turned and walked out to the battling lines, and Kiyuki listened to the noise of the crowd reaching a crescendo, beginning to cheer both her name and Hop’s. <em>This is really it… </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop bounced on his feet a few times, shaking out his hands again before lightly slapping his face a couple times. He led with Dubwool, and Kiyuki took another deep breath before bringing out Sacha. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop stared at the Goodra for a moment, his jaw dropping open slightly. “So that’s what you were doing while I was battling Raihan!” He yelled to Kiyuki, grinning again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki returned his grin. “You know it! Dragon Pulse, Sacha!” She called, and Sacha roared as she attacked. Hop, for some reason, went for a Cotton Guard, likely anticipating a physical attack. The Dragon Pulse slammed into Dubwool and pushed him back toward Hop, but he stayed standing. He scraped his hoof against the ground, ready to charge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop called for a Body Slam, and Dubwool rushed at Sacha. Her large size meant that she couldn’t dodge very well, but Kiyuki had a better plan and smiled. “Ice Beam the ground in front of it, Sacha!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Instead of sending the beam of frozen energy at Dubwool, Sacha aimed it down and froze the pitch in between her and Dubwool. Dubwool’s momentum carried him forward and he slipped, rolling hooves over horns until he came to a stop a little ways away from Sacha. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dragon Pulse!” Sacha’s follow-up attack sent Dubwool skidding back across the ice towards Hop. It worked much better than Kiyuki was expecting, and it gave her a huge advantage. The ice limited Dubwool’s mobility, and Sacha was able to hit him from afar.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the ice beginning to melt in the warm Stadium however, so she needed to knock out Dubwool while she still had the advantage. Hop was clearly still trying to figure out a way around the ice, and hadn’t yet given any more commands. “Ice Beam again!” Kiyuki yelled. Hop quickly commanded him to leap to the side, and the Ice Beam missed and froze another swathe of grass instead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki called for another Ice Beam on the other side, effectively boxing Dubwool in. Having nowhere to dodge, Sacha fired off another Dragon Pulse and knocked out Dubwool. The crowd cheered, and Hop winced before recalling Dubwool and sending out his Corviknight next. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop didn’t know that Sacha also knew Thunderbolt, and she could use that to her advantage. Not wanting to tip him off, Kiyuki called for an Ice Beam. His Corviknight took the hit and shook the ice off his feathers, before using Scary Face on Sacha, causing her movements to become sluggish. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Corviknight flapped his wings and rose up into the air, ready to dive down with a Drill Peck. But Kiyuki was ready for that. “Use Thunderbolt!” She yelled, extending her hand out once the Corviknight began its dive. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sacha sent a bolt of electricity out, zapping the Corviknight. It squawked as the electricity arced across its feathers, but didn’t break off its attack and connected the Drill Peck. The hit sent her staggering back, but she was fine. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Corviknight returned to hover in front of Hop, who then ordered a Steel Wing. It dove at Sacha again, its wings taking on a metallic glow, but Kiyuki was ready. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ice Beam slightly above the tip of its wing!” Kiyuki called, opting to use the same strategy she had used against Raihan to deal with his Flygon. She should probably stop using it so much, but it had become one of her favourites. Hop ordered his Corviknight to fly up to dodge it, which would have worked if Kiyuki was aiming at the Corviknight itself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she wasn’t, and the Ice Beam clipped the tip of the Corviknight’s wing, sending it crashing into the ground. The crowd erupted in cheering as Kiyuki followed up with another Thunderbolt, which came crashing down onto the Corviknight while it was still struggling to get up, effectively knocking it out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop shook his head and grimaced again, recalling the downed Corviknight. He sent out his Snorlax next. Sacha was looking a little tired now, and Kiyuki knew she wouldn’t be able to deal much damage to the Snorlax, so she swapped her out for Cornelius. She knew her own Corviknight would be able to withstand Snorlax’s attacks better, and would take less damage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd once again began cheering. She shot Hop a reassuring smile, making sure he wasn’t doubting himself, then called for a Body Press. Cornelius squawked, flapping his wings to rise up into the air before dropping down on the Snorlax. His attack connected, but the Snorlax attacked as well, hitting Cornelius with a Hammer Arm before he could fly away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The attack pushed Cornelius back, his talons scraping at the pitch. But he shook off the attack, and flew up again. Kiyuki repeated the maneuver and called for another Body Press. Hop counter-attack came in the form of another Hammer Arm, but Kiyuki was ready for it. “Spiral to the right!” She yelled.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki had practiced this with him while she was waiting to battle Raihan, and knew that doing this would give him a quick burst of speed. Cornelius angled his wings so that his momentum pulled him into a spin, and got enough of a speed burst to shoot out of the way of the Hammer Arm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Snorlax’s attack hit the ground instead, creating a small crater in the pitch. <em>Oops. </em>Hop watched wide-eyed as the Corviknight soared back up, unharmed, coming to rest back on Kiyuki’s side of the field. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Snorlax was still standing, but was very low on health. “Let’s try something different, Cornelius. U-turn!” Kiyuki called, and the Corviknight glanced back at her, and she could’ve sworn he nodded. A moment later, Cornelius flew up, then went spiralling down towards the Snorlax. His attack slammed into it, pushing it back, then Cornelius automatically returned to his Pokéball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Snorlax wobbled on its feet for a moment, then fell over with a resounding crash, finally knocked out. The crowd cheered again, and Kiyuki brought out Hylla, expecting Pincurchin to come out next. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was right. Meaning he would be Dynamaxing his Umbreon like he did against Mark. The unfortunate Pincurchin couldn’t do much, however. It attempted to hit Hylla with a Poison Jab, but she knocked out in a single hit with High Horsepower. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hissed at Hop, and Kiyuki switched her out for Hallow. Hop sent out his Umbreon. “Think you got me backed into a corner? No way! This’ll just make my victory all the better! I’ll release all the thoughts poured into my Wishing Star… and Dynamax!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned at Kiyuki, then pulled Umbreon back into its Ball and Dynamaxed it, stumbling a little when he threw it behind him. Umbreon grew in size, roaring as the rings on its head, tail, and legs glowed, adding their own light to the Dynamax energy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki followed, returning his smile and Dynamaxing Hallow. She called for a Max Starfall from the gigantic Mimikyu, who sent a volley of brightly glowing shooting stars at Umbreon. He took the hit and the stars disappeared into the ground, leaving pink-tinged fog of Misty Terrain. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Umbreon returned with a Max Darkness, breaking Hallow’s Disguise. The head of the rag fell to the side, but she was mostly unbothered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They traded attacks once more, and Umbreon was barely hanging on after the second Max Starfall. His head was starting to droop, the glow of the rings becoming dimmer. The Dynamax energy was beginning to waver and weaken around both Pokémon, the energy almost spent.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hesitated for a moment, knowing that the moment she ordered the next Max Starfall, Hop would lose and his chance at becoming Champion would disappear. His dreams completely crushed once she said two words. He seemed to realize that he was about to lose as well, his gaze meeting hers with a panicked look. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki closed her eyes and let out a breath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>I’m so sorry, Hop. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Max Starfall!” She yelled, thrusting her hand out. Hallow’s powerful Fairy-type attack came a moment later, battering Umbreon and finishing him off. He shrunk back down with a roar, and Hop turned away to return him to his Ball. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The roar of the crowd became deafening as Hallow returned to her normal size. Kiyuki returned her to her Ball, and turned to face Hop. His gaze was averted towards the ground, and he punched the air in front of him in frustration. Then he glanced back up at Kiyuki as she stepped forward, sadness lurking behind his eyes, but with a small smile on his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki… Thanks, mate. I’m really glad you were the one here with me,” he said. Kiyuki barely heard him over the crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And the victor of the Semifinals, the challenger who has won their way through all of the many hopeful Trainers in the Gym Challenge is Challenger Kiyuki!” Chairman Rose’s voice rang out over the Stadium again, and the crowd cheered again. “We will see more of her tomorrow as she battles for the chance to take on the Champion himself in the Finals!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki raised both hands, waving at the crowd and smiling. She tried to hide the guilt eating at her, the fact that she had crushed both Hop and Marnie’s dreams of becoming Champion, and now she was in the running for a title she didn’t even want.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, even when Sonia was saying that you and me looked like we could become heroes, I really never felt like one…” Hop started, and Kiyuki glanced back at him. He was smiling now, with his hands behind his head, but she could hear his voice wavering slightly. “But you, mate! I think maybe you really could do all sorts of great things! Good on you, Kiyuki! And Nimbus and all the rest of your team!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stepped forward to shake Kiyuki’s hand. She shook it briefly, then pulled him into a hug before he could step back. Hop stiffened for a moment in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. Kiyuki ignored the yelling of the crowd, instead smiling at Hop once he pulled back and keeping her hands on his shoulders for a moment longer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled at her again, then the two separated and returned to the locker rooms. Kiyuki grabbed her water bottle and took a big gulp, her mind still trying to process what happened. She was now the only Gym Challenger remaining, although she didn’t actually know who else would be in the Finals. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She quickly changed out of her uniform, slipping back into her jeans, striped t-shirt, and her Dragon-type sports cap. She gave herself a quick glance over in the mirror, making sure her hair and makeup were still fine. Pushing down the guilt that clawed at her some more, she grabbed her backpack and stepped out of the locker room. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hop is genuinely the only Pokémon rival I have felt bad about beating. I mean, like come on, you crush his dreams at battling his brother and becoming the Champion. I don't know if it makes me heartless at never having felt bad about beating anyone else in Pokémon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Late</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second chapter today! I'm going to be away for a few days, so there won't be any updates until the weekend when I get back.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop was waiting for her outside the locker room, but he didn’t say very much as the pair stepped into the elevator that would take them back to the lobby. It was only a couple floors, but there was a huge cheering crowd right outside the elevator, held back by 4 League staff. Leon was there too, and Kiyuki laughed as he struck his signature Charizard pose. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki! Hop! That was incredible. Brilliant. Honestly… there were even tears rolling down my face before I knew it. To think that the two of you set out together from the same town, built up the greatest teams, and arrived here at this point to throw everything you had at one another… That burning desire to win… Those moves filled with undefeatable passion! It was battling at its very purest, in every possible way!” Leon said, grinning at them both. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Leon. It’s all still a little surreal to me. We’ve both come so far,” Kiyuki replied, glancing back at Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Both of you certainly have. Even though there were some Trainers who questioned my decision to endorse you, Kiyuki, since you’re not Galarian, but your strength is undeniable. My team members and I will give everything that we’ve got in us to defeat our challenger. And the challenger standing before us might end up being you, Kiyuki.” Leon grinned at her again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Or it could be Raihan again, like it’s been for the last 5 years,” Hop added. Kiyuki frowned at that. Was she battling the Gym Leaders in the Finals?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Too true.” Leon laughed. “Ah, don’t tell him I told you this, but I’m hoping that I do end up battling you, Kiyuki.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I hope I live up to your expectations then!” Kiyuki laughed, and Leon smiled in return.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop tapped her on the shoulder. “Well the real challenge for you is what’s coming next, Kiyuki. And I’m completely exhausted! I just want to head back to the hotel and rest,” He said with a yawn. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Best to refill your energy stores first! Why don’t we go get some dinner together?” Leon laughed, and Kiyuki perked up at the idea of food. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes! Count me in!” Kiyuki exclaimed, grinning at Leon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wouldn’t say no, but you never care at all what food tastes like, Lee! A night like this deserves more than rubbish takeaway, so at least pick something good!” Hop gave Leon a look, crossing his arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon laughed again. “Don’t worry, I know a great place! I’ve got a meeting with the chairman at Rose Tower first, but I’ll meet you two in the hotel lobby when I’m done. Shouldn’t be any longer than 30 minutes at the most.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon had the League staff part the crowd for them, following them out of the Stadium and back out to the city. The matches had taken most of the day, and the sun was gradually slipping lower in the sky. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leon said goodbye before stepping onto the monorail, while Kiyuki and Hop walked down a side street that they hadn’t explored yet, making some small talk. It was nice to avoid the crowds on the main road, and the side street was much quieter. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They eventually found their way back to the hotel, and immediately got mobbed by reporters and cameras once they stepped in. “Challenger Kiyuki! Got some time for questions?!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki felt like a Deerling in the headlights, but managed to stutter out a yes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You and Challenger Hop were both endorsed by the Champion, making the two of you rivals in a sense, wouldn’t you say? How does it feel to have defeated your rival?” One of the reporters asked, there were so many of them, Kiyuki had no idea which one had even spoken. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki repeated what she had told Leon. “It’s pretty surreal, doesn’t quite feel real yet. But I’m glad that I could beat him.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That answer apparently wasn’t satisfactory, and all the reporter said was “right…” before asking another question. “If you wanted to tell Challenger Hop something right now, what would it be?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, he’s right here.” Kiyuki laughed, gesturing back at him. He smiled and gave a little wave at the cameras. “But I would tell him… No, I will thank him for the great match!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop smile grew wider at that. “Right back at you, mate!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, level with me, kiddo. Your honest thoughts here.” The reporter said again, bringing Kiyuki’s attention away from Hop. “Think you can win the Finals, too?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki thought about that for a moment, but she eventually just shrugged. “I’m not sure, honestly. I’m certainly going to try my best and give it everything I’ve got. I’m not backing down now.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Several more of the reporters fired off more questions at her, sounding like a jumbled mess. Kiyuki froze, not sure what to say, but Hop stepped forward. “All right—that’s enough! Kiyuki’s already tired from battle! And you’ve been asking rather rude questions! We’ve got ourselves dinner plans with my brother, so, sorry, but clear off already, would you?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To her surprise, the reporters did clear off. The cameramen turned back to the reporters, who signed off, then they all filed out of the lobby. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you. You’re a lot better at handling that than I am. I owe you one,” Kiyuki told Hop, feeling extremely grateful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No problem! Famous people sure have it rough, eh? I hope Lee gets here soon. I could eat my own arm about now.” Hop smiled.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, don’t do that!” Kiyuki laughed. “Let’s go find somewhere to sit down.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They had only managed to take a few steps forward when Kiyuki heard her name behind her. Assuming it was another reporter, she turned to tell them that she wasn’t doing any more interviews, but stopped in her tracks when she saw who it was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mom!” She grinned, running up and pulling her mother into a hug. “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I came to watch my daughter in the tournament, of course! What else would I be doing here?” Her mother laughed, pulling back to look at Kiyuki. Her Garchomp was behind her, and leaned down towards Kiyuki, bumping her with her nose. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good to see you, Sylvia! Staying out of trouble?” Kiyuki greeted the Garchomp, scratching her under the chin. She let out a small purr, her tail swishing against the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Were you at the semis too?” Kiyuki asked her mother while still scratching Sylvia under her chin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded. “Both Lily and I were. I managed to get some time off work to come. That was quite the battle you two had.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki noticed that Hop’s mother was there as well. She had her hands on his shoulders and was talking to him, but Hop glanced up when he heard Kiyuki’s mother mention the battle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was great! I’m glad it was with Kiyuki. I think I’d be a lot worse shape if it was anyone else.” Hop smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced away, not meeting Kiyuki’s eyes. Yet another pang of guilt stabbed through her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t be ashamed to lose, Hop. You gave it everything you got, so learn from that and don’t worry about it.” His mother told him, and he smiled again, more of a real one this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Have you two gotten dinner yet?” Kiyuki’s mother asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki shook her head. “Leon’s supposed to be taking us. He said he’d be no more than 30 minutes, but he’s not here yet… How long has it been since we left the Stadium, Hop?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop pulled out his phone to check the time. “It’s quarter past 6 now, so about 25 minutes, I’d say.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, it sounds like you two have got dinner covered then. Lily and I need to go find something, so we’ll leave you two be. Say hello to the Champion for me!” Kiyuki’s mother replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you two staying here?” Hop asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This hotel? No, we’re at the Mantine Inn a few blocks away,” his mother said. “But we’ve got tickets for the matches tomorrow!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kiyuki…” Her mother suddenly said, and Kiyuki turned back towards her. “I have something to give you after your battles tomorrow, win or lose. So come find me after your done, ok?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After Kiyuki promised to come find her, she continued. “Good luck tomorrow, sweetheart. You’ll do great. Your father would be so proud of you right now.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tears stung at Kiyuki’s eyes, threatening to spill over. Her mother pulled her into another hug, then headed out of the hotel with Hop’s mother behind her, waving as she left. She quickly wiped her eyes before Hop could see, then headed over to a free bench. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop sat down next to her. They talked for a while about random topics from Pokémon, to comparing the differences in the schools between Galar and Hoenn. The conversation was a nice distraction from the hunger gnawing at Kiyuki’s stomach. Eventually, the topic migrated to trying to guess who the other had a crush on.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re an easy one, mate! Raihan!” Hop grinned at her. Kiyuki tried desperately to keep herself from blushing, but she failed judging by the way Hop’s smile widened. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! No way! He’s way out of my league!” Kiyuki protested, trying to defend herself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You turn about as red as a Pomeg berry whenever he so much as looks at you! And you seem to run into him an awful lot! If anything, he seems just as interested in you!” Hop countered, not fooled at all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Ugh, he saw right through me. </em>“I think it’s more so Nimbus that he’s interested in, not me.” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rubbish! The rest of us didn’t get a post-battle selfie with him!” He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um, you didn’t? I just assumed that was something he did with everyone,” Kiyuki asked, and Hop shook his head. “Huh… But enough of that! Who do you have a crush on… Ah! Nessa!” She just threw a wild guess out, hoping to distract Hop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hop laughed. “To be fair, who doesn’t have a crush on her?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki shrugged. “Alright, valid point. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Hmm… Who else… Marnie?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grinned at him when he starting blushing, his gaze flicking to floor in an attempt to hide it. “Ah hah! Gotcha!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No! If you think Raihan’s out of your league, then she’s way out of mine!” He stammered, but with a small smile on his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s not a Gym Leader.” Kiyuki pointed out. “You should ask her out!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No way! Sure, she helped me a lot when I was down in the dumps and doubting myself. Both of you did, even though I kept pushing you away. Plus, Piers would probably murder me!” Hop shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well that’s a good start if your biggest obstacle is Piers. Does she like you back?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How would I know? It’s not like we’ve talked about it… I wonder where she went though, haven’t heard from her since our match…” He said, pulling out his phone. His eyes widened once he turned it on. “Kiyuki! It’s half past 8! Lee’s over 2 hours late! And there’s no messages from him!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kiyuki quickly checked her own phone, in case the time was wrong on Hop’s, but it also read 8:30. “Maybe he got lost?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He would text me if he was lost. Something’s not right. He always does what he says he’ll do. As a kid, he promised me he’d become Champion one day, and he went and did just that! He ought to be able to keep to his own dinner plans!” Hop said, sounding worried. He stood up and walked a few paces towards the front desk. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He can’t still be in his meeting with the chairman, can he?” Kiyuki stood up as well, standing in front of Hop as he started pacing, staring at his phone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know! He said he’d be at Rose Tower, so let’s go get him!” Hop said, the volume of his voice starting to rise. He turned and ran out of the hotel, and Kiyuki followed him. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hop poked at the buttons on the monorail stop as Kiyuki came up behind him. The sun had long since set, but the billboards and street lights cast more than enough light to see.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Blast! We need a key! Is there another way over there?” Hop’s frustrated yell rang out over the hotel parking lot, causing a couple of passersby to look up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sheesh… You’ve sure got a mouth on you. If you were that noisy durin’ battle, you’d unleash a whole new level of power, you know.” A voice behind them caused Kiyuki to jump, and she whirled around. But she relaxed upon realizing it was Piers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, pack it in, Piers! I’m seriously worried here! So I don’t need to see your smug mug looking like you’re having a go at me, even though you act like you’re giving me good advice!” Hop yelled, waving his arms in frustration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Judgin’ by appearances? No wonder you lost to your mate. I saw the Champion headin’ to Rose Tower, but that was hours ago,” Piers replied, surprisingly unfazed by Hop’s frustration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We know. Is there some way to get the monorail activated, or is there another path somewhere?” Kiyuki interjected, placing her hand on Hop’s shoulder to get him to calm down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piers sighed, glancing up and closing his eyes. “Well, I s’ppose I can take you there… It’s a real problem for me, too, if the Finals are held up for any reason. And I don’t really hate the two of you little runts. You were good enough to beat me, after all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got a sort of devilish grin on his face, and opened his eyes again. “So I think I’ll invite my sister and Team Yell along, and we’ll all have ourselves a bit of fun. Shall we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Count me in! I’ve been told I’m pretty good at getting into trouble,” Kiyuki grinned at him.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That you certainly are,” Piers shot back at her. “So this will come pretty naturally to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop managed to hide his flustered expression when Piers mentioned Marnie, and recovered with a grin. “Brilliant!” He said. “You’re the best, Piers! Let’s go make a real ruckus!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piers pulled out his phone, typing a message then sending it. “They’re on their way,” he said. “Shouldn’t be too long.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Indeed, only about a minute had passed when Kiyuki heard a familiar voice coming out of the hotel. “Man, why am I here for this? I’m totally exhausted from that battle with Kiyuki… Oh! Hop! Uh… Hi!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, sis! It’ll be fun! Team Yell can cheer Kiyuki on, so let’s help her out together,” Piers said, shooting his sister a smirk. Marnie just gave him a look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another familiar voice, although an unwelcome one this time, cut into Kiyuki’s thoughts before she could say hello to Marnie. “What a beautiful display of sibling love! However, it is entirely unnecessary.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ms. Oleana?” Hop turned. “Where’s my brother?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chairman Rose is with the Champion in a very, very important meeting… There is no way I will let anyone interfere! After all, only authorized personnel with the proper key can ride the monorail to Rose Tower. That means as long as Chairman Rose is in the tower, no one can disturb him!” Oleana stated, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s been there for two hours. Leon would let us know if the meeting was going on longer than he thought,” Kiyuki began. She stepped forward and glared up at Oleana, even though she towered over Kiyuki with her heels. “I think you’re hiding something. What are you even doing with all those Wishing Stars you had Bede collect? I doubt you’re using them as paperweights.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana stared back at Kiyuki, pressing her lips together in a thin line. “That is none of your concern, Challenger. I suggest you not ask any more questions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Try me. I’m not the kind of person to accept that kind of answer,” Kiyuki snapped back, not intimidated in the slightest by the secretary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmph! Your fire is entirely unnecessary. You’ll never get to Rose Tower. I have hand selected a member of the League staff and given them a key. Chairman Rose does enjoy these kind of menial games after all. Do you think you can tell the difference between normal League staff and the one I chose?” Oleana huffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s about as obvious as the difference between a Wailord and a Skitty,” Kiyuki drily commented, enjoying the infuriated look that briefly flashed across Oleana’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In all fairness, it was pretty obvious. The normal League staff had reflective sunglasses and a League shirt, while this one had black sunglasses and a shirt with a hexagonal symbol on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’ll never find him anyways! But I will enjoy watching you try,” Oleana snarled. She waved her hand and the fake League staff ran off towards the central square, and she followed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki continued glaring at her back until she heard Piers burst out laughing behind her. She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like you, kid. You’ve got a lot of spunk, and you’re not afraid to get into trouble,” he laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki couldn’t help but return his smile. “It comes naturally,” she replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What should we do?” Marnie asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned at her. “Let’s get him. This will be fun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Hop cheered, practically bouncing. “This is brilliant! I’ll search around the front of the stadium!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go with you! We should stick together, right?” Marnie replied. Kiyuki didn’t miss the way Hop turned slightly red, shooting him a knowing grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely. Piers and I will take the square. We’ll keep in touch.” Kiyuki said, holding up her phone. Hop and Marnie ran off down a side street, the same one that Hop and Kiyuki had used to reach the hotel earlier that day. Piers watched them go, his expression somewhat wary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be fine, Piers. Let’s go,” she told him, taking off running towards the square. He followed, and the Team Yell members did too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki got there first. The square was packed, crowds that had gathered in the city for the semi-finals and finals. There were League staff scattered about, but Kiyuki didn’t see the fake one at first glance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piers and Team Yell reached the square a moment later. “Let’s spread out. Cover more ground that way. We’re looking for the one wearing those lame shades,” Piers said. “I’ll take the centre.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll look over there towards the train station!” Kiyuki replied, starting to jog in that direction. She paused to check the sunglasses of the League staff standing by the Pokémon Centre, but they were the normal reflective ones. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She broke into a run again, passing in front of the doors of the Pokémon Centre just as they flew open. She was going too fast to stop herself, and plowed straight into the person coming out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The impact knocked her hat off and nearly knocked both of them over. Kiyuki flailed her arms around trying to regain her balance until the person grabbed her shoulder to try and stop themselves from falling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy Arceus, I’m so sorry! I should’ve been watching…” She trailed off once she caught a glimpse of an orange headband and a very distinct navy blue hoodie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Raihan! What are you doing here?” Kiyuki sputtered, feeling her face heating up again. She felt like she was about to melt into a puddle of embarrassment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Going to the Pokémart, what else would I be doing here! You scared the living daylights out of me!” He exclaimed, letting go of Kiyuki’s shoulder once he realized she wasn’t about to fall over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry!” Kiyuki apologized again, burying her face in her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Raihan just laughed. “Don’t worry about it, but maybe be a little more careful next time,” he said, then crouched down to pick up Kiyuki’s hat that had landed next to his feet. He stood back up, looking at it. “Nice hat, by the way! I approve of it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He handed it back to her, and she put it back on her head. Raihan glanced around her, seeming to notice for the first time that she was accompanied by Piers and Team Yell, who were standing off to the side and watching. “And what in the world are you and that lot doing here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chairman Rose kidnapped Leon,” Kiyuki said simply, finishing adjusting her hat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan gave her a very confused look. “Hold up. Wait, what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not literally!” Piers said, shooting a look at Kiyuki. “The Champ’s late for dinner with this one and his brother, and they’re certain somethin’s not right. So we’re tryin’ to track down Oleana’s League staff with the lame sunglasses that has the monorail key.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So are you helping us, or no?” Kiyuki asked Raihan once Piers had finished his explanation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan still looked completely bewildered, but eventually shrugged and laughed. “Sounds a lot more fun than watching something mindless on the telly. Who are we looking for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He looks like a League staff, but he’s got dark sunglasses and a shirt with some sort of hexagonal symbol on it,” Kiyuki told him. A moment later, she heard a Team Yell Grunt yelling her name a little ways away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki glanced around Raihan before running towards the Grunt waving at her. He was standing next to a League staff that was facing the wall. “Hey, Kiyuki! This bloke’s awfully shifty, but I can’t get him to turn around!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All good. I’ve got this,” Kiyuki told the Grunt, who grinned and stepped back. She heard footsteps behind her, presumably Raihan and Piers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned, stepping up behind the League Staff and tapping him on the shoulder. “You know…” She started, “Ms. Oleana’s going to be very upset when she finds out we already have the key.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! No you don’t!” The League staff shouted, whirling around. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gotcha. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Blast, I turned around!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He seemed to realize that he was cornered by the two top Gym Leaders, two Team Yell Grunts, and the top Gym Challenger. Kiyuki could hear Raihan and Piers laughing behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t escape?! In that case, time for a Pokémon battle!” The League Staff said, forcing Kiyuki to step back when he sent out his Meowth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please. Send him packing, Flicker!” Kiyuki replied, smirking at the fake League staff basically cowering in the corner. Flicker made short work of the Meowth, and the Durant he sent out next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t suddenly talk to me like that! I accidentally turned around! But all I need to do is hide, and I won’t have to give you the key!” He shouted, shoving Kiyuki to the side and running off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stumbled, but a pair of hands on her shoulders stopped her from falling. “You all right?” Raihan asked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did he get behind me so quickly? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded, trying to keep her thoughts somewhat coherent once Raihan’s hands fell away, leaving her shoulders feeling cold. “Where did he go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeesh, it’s a wonder how fast that guy could run,” the Grunt said, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well he can’t have gone far. Let’s go find him,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s not at the Stadium!” Hop’s voice came from behind her, and Kiyuki turned, glancing around Raihan to see Hop running up with Marnie and Morpeko close behind. “Did you find him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just did, yeah. But he ran off again,” Kiyuki told him. “He’ll be hiding somewhere. Come on, Flicker,” she said, snapping her fingers to get her Chandelure to quietly trail after her. She walked towards the Corviknight statue, and Raihan came up beside her a moment later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was decently hard to see with only the streetlights. There were a bunch of League staff sitting around the statue and fountain, but they were all actual League staff with the reflective sunglasses. None of them had the dark sunglasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki… I think I see him,” Raihan said, his voice quiet. Kiyuki walked back to him, and he pointed out a small group of people standing in front of the fountain. Sure enough, there was the fake staff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice! Let’s get him!” Kiyuki smiled at Raihan, who returned it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll let you do the honours,” he laughed quietly, following her and Flicker down the steps. She circled around behind the fake League Staff and tapped him on the shoulder again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He whirled around again. “How’d you find me…? Or did you just talk to everyone you met?! Bah, whatever! I’ll defeat you this time!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said earlier, you stand out as much as a Wailord in a group of Skitty. Let’s go, Flick.” Kiyuki smirked, and Flicker laughed. She heard Marnie and Team Yell cheering her on, and Flicker quickly defeated the fake League staff’s Mawile and Excadrill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I even switched up my Pokémon while I was running… They say hide a tree in a forest, so I thought I could myself in the crowd! You’ll never find me this time!” He shook a fist at her and ran off again, shoving his way through a crowd of people that were just passing by. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was about to run after him, but the crowd stopped her. Plus, she didn’t think a crowd like that would take too kindly to having a Chandelure following her through. Hop came up beside her, and nudged her in the side while nodding his head towards Raihan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut it, Hop,” she told him, maneuvering around the edge of the crowd. The fake League staff was nowhere to be seen. “Anyone see… Ah, never mind. I found him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki walked up to the red phone box containing a badly hidden fake League staff. She rapped on the glass with her knuckles, then smiled and waved at him as he looked up. He started and stumbled out of the phone box. “You’re way too observant! But I’ll win this time and make my getaway!” He shouted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker was instantly in front of her, using Flamethrower on the staff’s Ferroseed. Marnie, Hop, and Team Yell were all yelling and cheering, so much that it boosted Flicker’s attack and special attack. He instantly defeated the Steelix as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Argh!” The fake staff yelled. “Hiding didn’t work, and battles didn’t work… Only thing to do now is run! Seems like you’ve got me cornered… But I’m not going to give up! An earful from Ms. Oleana is way worse than anything you lot can do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh really?” Kiyuki smiled, stepping forward. Her smile widened as he scrambled back, nearly tripping over his feet. “Would you like to test that theory?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scrambled back some more. “You’ll never catch me on the monorail!” He shouted, bolting for the train station. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After him!” Kiyuki yelled, breaking into a run herself. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Tower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second chapter today! Figured I should probably post two since I couldn't update anything for the last few days. But I'll be back to my daily updates for now, at least until I run out of chapters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiyuki had nearly caught up with the fake League Staff at the train station, which was actually a monorail station instead. He ran to the staircase, joining three other League staff with the dark sunglasses. They all crossed their arms, blocking the way forward. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They all work for Oleana… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Blast!” Hop yelled. “How are we going to get past them now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was fully expecting to have to wipe the floor with them in a battle, but Piers held her back with a hand on her shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did a crackin’ job of cornerin’ that bad League staff member, Kiyuki. Let me sing you a song fittin’ of your rockin’ deeds!” He said, pulling out a microphone and a folding stand. He set it up, clipping the microphone to the stand and placing it in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The only thing a humble singer can do is sing a humble song,” he started to sing, and Kiyuki gaped at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is he doing?  </span>
  </em>
  <span>Out of the corner of her eye, she could see </span>
  <span>Raihan slowly creeping to the side where the original fake League staff was. But the fake staff payed him no mind, staying focused on Piers and Kiyuki.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I can’t cheer someone on just with the tunes I play. Maybe my songs don’t make anyone happy. Maybe I can’t help. But still the only thing I can do is sing—sing my humble song.” Piers kept singing, his voice amplified now that he had switched his microphone on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Team Yell started to cheer, blowing their horns and shouting. Kiyuki noticed that the people around were starting to look to see what was up, and the fake League staff members shifted around nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Kiyuki saw exactly what Piers was up to when all the people at the top of the station came thundering down the stairs, shoving the fake staff out of the way. The one with the key got shoved near where Raihan was off to the side. He snatched the key from around the staff's neck when he came close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki!” He yelled, tossing her the key over the head of the fake staff, and she caught it as she pushed her way through the crowd, reaching the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki! Hop! Now’s your chance! Go! Get outta here!” Piers yelled, momentarily breaking from his song. Kiyuki looked back at Raihan to see if he was coming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go! I’ll make this distraction even bigger! Keep them off of you!” He called, waving his phone at her. Kiyuki nodded, and Hop and Marnie shoved their way through the crowd and met her at the top. But the fake staff were slowly pushing their way through the crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right! Time to go!” She told Hop and Marnie, swiping the key through the keypad next to the door leading to the monorail. The three of them crowded in just as the first fake staff shoved his way past Raihan and reached the top of the stairs. But he didn’t get much further before the door slid shut and the monorail carried them away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief, hearing the music fade as they got further from the station. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was absolutely brilliant!” Hop commented during the ride. “I can’t believe you managed to rope Raihan into it too!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not surprised. Kiyuki’s had his eye caught for a long time now,” Marnie added, her shoulder gently bumping into Kiyuki’s, who felt her face flame up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?! I don’t have a crush on him!” Kiyuki denied, turning her face away so they couldn’t see her blushing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you do,” they both said in unison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s super obvious, mate,” Hop added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, enough of that. We already had our talk about crushes, Hop. I could be teasing you, now,” Kiyuki shot back at him, smirking when he turned the same shade of red as a Tamato berry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh! So you do have a crush! Who is it?” Marnie teased, bumping into him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki’s smile grew wider as Hop turned even more red, and he hid his face in his hands. “N-no one!” He stammered, trying to maintain his composure. As tempting as it was, it would be extremely mean to tell Marnie that he had a crush on her. So she kept her mouth shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As much as I would like to keep teasing you, Hop, we’re here,” Kiyuki said as the monorail came to a stop. The doors slid open and the three of them stepped out. They had seen Rose Tower from afar, but Kiyuki hadn’t realized just tall it actually was as she craned her neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just how tall do you think it is? I can’t even see the top, up there in the clouds,” Hop remarked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what should we do? Raihan and Team Yell are gonna have their hands full holdin’ up those bad League staff members. They won’t be catchin’ up anytime soon,” Marnie said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They still could’ve contacted Oleana. We should go ahead though. Let’s see if there’s a back door, and if not, then we go through the front door,” Kiyuki decided. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good thinking! Let’s go collect Lee and get out of here! Without him, there’s no Champion for you to challenge in the Champion Cup!” Hop nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we charge on ahead. An employee’s an employee I guess… Seems that exec lady hid the monorail key to try and impress the chairman. He’s been keepin’ the Champion holed up inside. Wonder what’s he’s plottin’,” Marnie added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki heard the door to the monorail slide open again, and she grabbed Flicker’s Ball from her belt in case it was the fake League staff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Put the Chandelure away, Kiyuki. It’s me. Raihan and Team Yell have got everythin’ under control over there,” Piers said as he walked up, and Kiyuki snapped the Premier Ball back to her belt. “Times like this—when tension and passion run high—remind me of Spikemuth in the old days. Some right wild concerts we had back then. But no encores! Why are you still here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re plotting a master plan,” Kiyuki told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no back door. The front door’s the only way in, and the only way out. You better get goin’! I’ll send some support your way with a yell!” Piers said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well there goes the plan then,” Kiyuki laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I better stick around here to make sure my bro doesn’t do anythin’ too crazy, right? Come back if you need anything’,” Marnie said, giving Hop a small smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piers suddenly pulled out his phone. “You two need to go, now! Raihan said a couple of the bad League staff managed to shove their way through.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right. Let’s go, Kiyuki!” Hop yelled, taking off running. Kiyuki followed him, and the doors slid open for them as they stepped into a dark lobby. The only person in sight was a single receptionist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, it’s huge in here! What in the world is this place meant to be?!” He said, his voice echoing around the room. “Listen, Kiyuki… Don’t know if you knew this already, but I’ve heard Rose Tower was built on a Power Spot. Meaning…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we have enough space, we could Dynamax.” Kiyuki finished. She checked her Dynamax band, seeing that it was in fact, glowing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So there’s two Power Spots in Wyndon… The Stadium and here. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop nodded. “Which is all well and good. But less certain is whether this lift can get us to the top… Rose Tower has, like, a hundred floors, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s the only elevator, so it must,” Kiyuki added. But before she could step forward to press the button, the doors slid open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be leaving right now, so there’s no need to worry about the lift!” One of the fake League staff stepped out, but Kiyuki couldn’t tell if it was the same one they were chasing earlier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Intruder alert. Intruder alert. All staff are ordered to help remove the intruders from the premises at once.” Oleana’s voice rang out over the intercom, echoing around the lobby. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So much for stealth. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See? If Ms. Oleana says so, then it looks like this is the end of the line for you kids. If I get rid of the intruders, I’ll probably get a big bonus!” The staff said. He was definitely a different one than the one they were just chasing around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In your dreams,” Kiyuki smirked at him, bringing out Flicker again. The staff sent out a Durant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Easy. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His hopes of a bonus disappeared with a Flamethrower from Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to speak with Chairman Rose! Tell us where he is!” Hop demanded. Kiyuki stepped forward, and the staff stepped back, bumping into the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take the lift! The chairman’s at the top of the building. But you’ll never make it. Every Macro Cosmos employee stands between you and him!” The staff shouted, still trying to back away from Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take my chances. You guys haven’t been very hard to defeat,” Kiyuki smiled at him, tapping the button on the elevator. The doors slid open, and Flicker and Hop followed her inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All right! We’re nearly to Chairman Rose! Hold on, Lee! We’re coming!” Hop yelled, his voice echoing around the elevator shaft. They stepped into the centre and the lights came on, snaking around the sleek metal. The doors slid shut behind them as the elevator started to move up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They rode in silence. Kiyuki could feel the hunger gnawing at her now. It made her feel a lot like Marnie’s Morpeko. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is taking ages…” Hop muttered, tapping his foot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon after he said that, the elevator slowed and stopped. The lights dimmed. There was a number printed above the doors, 35. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? I don’t think we’re at the roof yet… Why have we stopped?” Hop asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doors across from them slid open, and two Macro Cosmos staff stepped inside, complete with the dark glasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think they’re why we stopped,” Kiyuki replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two staff said something about subsidiary companies and high-tech elevators, but Kiyuki was hardly listening. She didn’t really care what they were saying. Hop joined her in the battle against a Bronzong and a Cufant, his Dubwool fighting alongside Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker’s Flamethrower knocked out the Bronzong in a single hit, and Dubwool’s Body Slam managed to paralyze the Cufant. Another Flamethrower knocked it out a moment later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The staff sputtered something about respectively retreating, and asking them to not interfere with the chairman’s work. The other one said more about the elevators, before they disappeared back outside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait… So the folks working in the tower can stop the elevator from the outside at any time? We’re just trying to get to the top already!” Hop complained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki glanced up, realizing the shaft was completely open all the way to the roof. “I’ve got a better idea. Quicker and more fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let Cornelius out of his Ball, and he soared a small loop around them before landing on the platform. As he landed, the elevator lit up and started to move again. Kiyuki climbed onto the Corviknight’s back, then held out her hand to Hop. “Come on! He can carry both of us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop gaped at her for a moment, then took her hand and settled himself behind her. “You’re bloody brilliant, have I told you that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki laughed, shooting him a smile. “Just make sure you hold on! I’ll wait until they stop the elevator before we take off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, hold onto what?!” Hop yelled back, sounding alarmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To me!” Kiyuki replied. The elevator started to slow down, the lights dimming. “Come on, Hop!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist just as the elevator doors slid open, and two more Macro Cosmos staff ran in. They didn’t get very far and skidded to a halt once they saw her and Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki raised her hand and waggled her fingers at them, shooting them a smile. “Bye!” She called, then patted Cornelius on the shoulder to tell him to take off. He shot up into the air, spiralling up the elevator shaft towards the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop let out a yell and tightened his grip around her, making sure he didn’t fall off. She heard the alarmed yelling of the staff below, alerting Oleana that they were flying. Kiyuki couldn’t help but laugh, urging Cornelius up once she heard the elevator start up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go say hello to Oleana, shall we?” Kiyuki called back to Hop. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Oleana</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cornelius shot up out of the elevator shaft, doing a loop as the elevator clicked into place below them. Kiyuki urged him down and landed, allowing Hop to finally release his death grip on her waist and slide off the Corviknight. She slid off after him and returned Cornelius to his Ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana was waiting for them, staring up at the night sky with her back turned. “Welcome to Chairman Rose’s exclusive space. Here, nearly a thousand feet above the earth! So, you got through all the special staff that I had ordered to stop you. I would expect nothing less of the Trainers handpicked by Champion Leon himself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You might want to consider giving them a little more type variety, instead of all Steel-types,” Kiyuki commented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana finally turned around, and chose to ignore Kiyuki’s comment. “But I am afraid it is now time for you to go home. Because…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will not allow anyone to disturb the great Chairman Rose!” She shouted, her face contorting into a twisted, angry expression. “You shall be the first, Kiyuki! If I beat you to pieces, then the Champion will have no one to battle and will thus lose heart. In that state, he will listen to anything the chairman says!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alright, so we’re fighting crazy secretaries now. This day just keeps getting weirder. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki smirked at her. “Beat me to pieces? Hah! Good luck with that. Show her how outmatched she is, Flicker!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Chandelure appeared to meet Oleana’s Froslass. He giggled at Oleana, then waited for Kiyuki’s orders. The Frosslass attacked immediately, sending out an Icy Wind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Melt the ice, Flicker. Flamethrower, then follow up with a Shadow Ball!” Flicker giggled again in response, then vaporized the Frosslass’ attack with a Flamethrower. The two attacks connected in a burst of steam that hung in the air for a moment. As it dissipated, Flicker flung a Shadow Ball at the Froslass, knocking it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My, how cheeky. To do such a thing as to hurt my partner!” Oleana said flatly, her face back to its usual impassive expression. But Kiyuki knew she was much more riled up than she was letting on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her next Pokémon was Tsareena, which immediately leapt at Flicker with Acrobatics. “Trap it, Flicker. Then Flamethrower.” Kiyuki commanded. Flicker’s flames encircled the incoming Tsareena, stopping it in midair as it struggled and shrieked. He then blasted it back towards Oleana with a Flamethrower and knocked it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki could’ve sworn she heard Oleana let out a growl of frustration as she recalled Tsareena, bringing in her Milotic. “Energy Ball,” Kiyuki told the Chandelure, who flung a glowing ball of green Grass-type energy at the Milotic. Kiyuki braced herself mentally for any Water-type attacks that Oleana might go for, but she ordered Milotic to set up an Aqua Ring instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Been awhile since you’ve battled, huh, Oleana? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki thought as Flicker defeated the Milotic with another Energy Ball. Now Oleana was extremely frustrated, her face was back in the angry expression and she was literally shaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Salazzle was next, and it was a lot quicker than any of Oleana’s other Pokémon. Flicker flung a Shadow Ball at it, but it leapt to the side and spat Poison Gas at Flicker, poisoning him. Flicker winced, but managed to spin to the side to avoid the Dragon Pulse that the Salazzle shot at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He retaliated with another Shadow Ball, and managed to hit Salazzle this time. It stumbled back, but shook off the attack and used Dragon Pulse again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t enough time to get out of the way, so Kiyuki yelled for Flicker to use his flames to shield himself. He crossed his arms in front of him to create a makeshift barrier of flames, and the Dragon Pulse connected with it. Flicker’s shield absorbed the hit, the light of the flames becoming almost blinding as the force of the attack pushed Flicker back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker let the flames dissipate once the Dragon Pulse had faded, and immediately followed up with another Shadow Ball. His attack connected and knocked the Salazzle out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! This is my last Pokémon? Seriously?! Oleana’s gotta finish this! But I think I’ll treat you to something truly spectacular. A Gigantamax at Rose Tower!” She shouted, now extremely mad. Her last Pokémon turned out to be Garbodor, which Kiyuki was certainly not expecting. And she certainly was not expecting it to be able to Gigantamax. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gigantamax Garbodor was a massive pile of trash, with what looked like discarded toys sticking out of it. There was a cruise ship, toy buildings, and what Kiyuki swore was a Substitute doll. Her best answer to this would be Hylla, but Kiyuki really didn’t want to tip Hop off about her new ability. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh well, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, switching Flicker out for Hylla. She activated her Dynamax band, and this time, Gigantamaxed Hylla. She stood up on the tip of her tail and stared down the Garbodor, coiled like a massive dusty tornado. The Gigantamax Sandaconda let out a reverberating hiss and started up a swirling sandstorm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hylla’s G-Max Sandblast came out first as a swirling whirlwind of sand that kept battering the Garbodor even after the attack was over. Oleana’s Garbodor tried to retaliate with a Max Quake, but it did little beyond annoying Hylla and causing her to intensify the sandstorm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another G-Max Sandblast, and Garbodor was defeated, shrinking down in a pillar of flame. Hylla shrunk back down as well, and hissed at Oleana while Kiyuki bent down to brush a pile of sand off her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana sighed, her face changing to a dejected look. “I wasn’t able to win… Oleana… you really are a hopeless woman.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smirked at her, then returned Hylla to her Ball. “Well I did say you were outmatched,” She replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana’s hands shook in frustration again. “Arghhh! This is inexcusable… What was I thinking… The top Gym Challenger of the year would be no pushover… Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to delay you further. However, all the necessary Wishing Stars have been collected. Do as you wish. There is nothing to be done now,” she said, turning and walking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait… What do you mean by that… What are you up to?” Kiyuki growled, but Oleana ignored her and disappeared down the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki… that was brilliant, mate! You and that Chandelure are unstoppable! And since when could your Sandaconda Gigantamax?” Hop said, seemingly unbothered by Oleana’s words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since yesterday. There was a salesman in the Wild Area from a nearby island, selling something called Mega Soup. I bought some while I was waiting to battle Raihan, and I gave it to Hylla for the tournament. Could you… Keep that a secret, please? I’m intending to keep it as a surprise for if I end up battling Leon,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t tell him!” Hop smiled. “Speaking of, let’s go get him so we can finally eat! I think he’s over there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked to the edge of the roof, towards the silhouettes of two people. Kiyuki was able to make out Leon’s purple hair as she got closer, and was able to hear their conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leon. We’ve discussed this a hundred times already. And still you fail to understand what’s at stake? You, who is supposed to be our Champion…” Chairman Rose said. They were both staring out towards the city, and Kiyuki grabbed Hop’s arm to get him to slow down, whispering that they should listen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I understand well enough. What I don’t understand is why we ought to cancel tomorrow’s tournament in order to solve a problem that’s a thousand years away from affecting any of us! What difference is one day going to make?” Leon replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop glanced at Kiyuki, wide-eyed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cancel the tournament? What in the world is going on?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon continued. “My duty as Champion isn’t this…this madness. It’s to carry out that Championship Match! That’s what Galar wants—and what I want! It’s what we’ve all been looking forward to for so long!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t understand… You still don’t understand a thing!” The chairman snapped back, his voice rising. “Look around us Leon! Look at the Galar region stretched out before us. And know that the energy required to keep this brilliant, glittering world alive will be exhausted a millennium from now! The people of Galar today will no longer even exist. What Galar wants today hardly matters!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He brought his hand to his chin, his voice softening. “The future is more important than just one day! We must act as quickly as we possibly can! We must take action in order to avert tragedy! So that all can look forward to a better future!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In a thousand years!” Leon protested. “Fine. Look. I think I understand your concerns, Chairman. And I give my word I’ll help you with your plans… just as soon as tomorrow’s match is over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, Leon turned, his eyes widening when he saw Hop and Kiyuki. “What are you two doing here?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never showed when you were supposed to, so we got worried that something had happened… Piers and Marnie and Raihan and all those Team Yell oddballs, they all helped us out to get here…” Hop replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chairman Rose finally turned as well, stepping forward. “I must apologize to you, Hop, if we’ve made you worry at all. There are times when adults just can’t seem to have an honest discussion with one another. Sometimes our pride just gets in the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s up to something… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki levelled a glare at him, and the chairman flicked his gaze away towards Hop instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never mind any of this, Hop, Kiyuki. Let’s head back to the hotel, and we’ll all grab dinner together, yeah? It’s on me, so you can order whatever you fancy. If you’ll excuse us, Chairman Rose… And I do hope you’ll watch tomorrow’s match. It’s sure to be one for the history books,” Leon said, nodding at the chairman before adjusting his cape and walking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop and Kiyuki followed, stepping onto the elevator and letting it take them down. Leon seemed lost in thought, but smiled at her when she spoke up. “What is he up to, Leon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t worry about it. The Chairman seems to think that an energy crisis in a thousand years can’t wait one more day to solve,” he said, waving her concern off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki just glared at him, until he eventually sighed and caved. “He thinks that releasing an ancient Legendary Pokémon will solve all his problems. And he needs me to control it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That sounded all too familiar to Kiyuki. “That never ends well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Hop asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki hesitated. She didn’t think she was at all ready to talk about Team Aqua, but fortunately there was another instance. “Have you guys ever heard of Team Magma?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop shook his head, but Leon touched his chin and glanced up. “Rings a bell. They caused a lot of problems in Hoenn a few years back, I think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded. “I was pretty young, so I don’t remember it well, but yes. Basically, Team Magma wanted to use a Legendary Pokémon called Groudon to dry up the seas and expand the continents to create more places for people to live. But when they woke it up, they couldn’t control it and it rampaged wild for several days. It caused massive damage around most of Hoenn from earthquakes and fires. Eventually, a young Trainer battling through the Gyms caught it, finally putting an end to the destruction.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would they release it if they couldn’t control it?” Hop asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They thought they could. But Groudon completely destroyed much of my hometown before it was finally brought under control. I was lucky, I happened to be with my parents on the other side of Hoenn when that happened. My family had to completely rebuild our house, but we were fine. That Trainer that caught Groudon actually became the Champion later that year,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! That’s Champion Brendan, right? I remember now!” Leon lightly smacked himself in the forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s him. I think he was only the Champion for about 4 years before Steven took his title back. But Leon, Chairman Rose wouldn’t release that Pokémon without having you there to control it, right?” Kiyuki replied, then glanced up at Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “I doubt it. The chairman is a brilliant man, he wouldn’t do something so reckless as that. I’ll go help him after tomorrow’s match.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elevator doors slid open, and Kiyuki followed Hop and Leon out into the still dark and empty lobby. She thought about Leon’s words and the conversation her and Hop had overheard. One thing she knew for sure, she didn’t want a repeat of Team Magma or Team Aqua happening here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A beep from her phone startled her out of her thoughts. Slowing her pace so that she was behind Hop and Leon, she pulled out her phone to check. She immediately dismissed the email notification confirming the booking of a flight to Slateport City the day after tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing she wanted was for her friends to find out about her plans after the Gym Challenge. She just had to wait a few more days for revenge. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was originally going to have Gigantamix grant Pokémon the ability to Gigantamax, but I had to change that with the information from the DLC trailer. I eventually settled on the "travelling salesman" idea, but I doubt it will be that simple in the DLC itself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Finals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, I'm going to be sticking to the game a lot more loosely from now on. And I'm completely changing things up for the Finals (to how I would've really loved the matches to go in the game), except for the beginning part. </p><p>Also, thank you so much to everyone who's left comments and kudos! I always love reading them, so thank you! Always makes my day a little better.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiyuki was still extremely tired the next morning from last night’s events, but Hop, thank goodness for him, had brought her a tea and was now walking with her to the Stadium. They had taken the side road like before, since Kiyuki was wanting to avoid the crowds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know…” He started, snapping Kiyuki out of her thoughts. “You and your team are the ones battling, but I’ve had Butterfree in my stomach since I woke up… You doing all right? You look nervous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki laughed. “I am nervous! Terrified, actually,” she admitted, taking another sip of her tea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d be surprised if you weren’t, mate! You’ll be fine! You’re so strong… You could probably give Lee a run for his money!” Hop grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably not. But I’ll still do my best. I’ll get over this nervousness once I get some caffeine in me!” She replied with another nervous laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, they were passing the vendors in front of the Stadium as it loomed overhead. Kiyuki’s mouth felt dry, and she quickly finished her tea and tossed the empty paper cup into a nearby garbage can. She pressed her hands to her legs to stop them from shaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is it. Here at Wyndon Stadium, the greatest stadium in all Galar… You’re gonna show everyone the greatest battle ever, mate, and set the world on fire!” Hop cheered, bouncing up the steps and into the Stadium as Kiyuki followed him in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His enthusiasm was contagious, and Kiyuki found herself cracking a small smile. “I’m gonna go find Marnie, but I’ll see you out there, mate. You’ll do great!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Hop. We’ll see how this goes,” Kiyuki replied. Hop placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned at her, then drifted away to go to the stands. She walked up to the desk, and the League staff greeted her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Challenger Kiyuki. We’ve been waiting for you. Since you won your way through the Semifinals, you must face off against the Gym Leaders in the Finals. And they won’t be holding back,” he said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… What?! The Gym Leaders?! There’s no Elite Four?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoever makes it through this final bracket will win the right to challenge the Champion… So, are you ready to go to the locker room now?” The staff continued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Gym Leaders… </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I’m ready,” she told him. He nodded, then pressed a button to open the gate for Kiyuki, allowing her to go through to the locker room. The people in the lobby seemed to have noticed that she was there, and started to cheer. She waved up at the people on the balcony, then stepped into the changing room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly threw on her Gym Uniform and stashed her bag in the lockers, then stepped into the elevator. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Last time with this uniform… </span>
  </em>
  <span>She fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve, keeping her gaze down initially, but glancing up as the doors slid open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Gym Leaders all looked up from their conversations as she stepped into the locker room. They all smiled and waved at her, and Kiyuki waved back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were two there she didn’t recognize, a small boy with a purple uniform and a mask, who was sitting on a bench and staring at his hands. His feet didn’t even touch the floor, just swinging listlessly in the air. And there was also a woman with ice-blue hair and a white uniform talking to Nessa. Kiyuki could see some resemblance to Gordie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, look what the Liepard dragged in,” Piers sarcastically drawled, and Kiyuki pulled her gaze away from the woman and rolled her eyes at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha ha. Good to see you too. Listen, thank you again for helping out Hop and I last night,” Kiyuki replied. Piers waved her off, but gave her a slight smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It really was quite fun. I guess we’re both aimin’ to win this thing now… And I’ll do it without usin’ Dynamax, to help everyone in Spikemuth reclaim their pride… and to see ‘em smile once again,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, based on our last battle, I would say you don’t need it. How do we know who we’re battling?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piers looked surprised at her compliment, but smiled. He pointed her towards a screen behind Nessa, and Kiyuki said goodbye and walked over there to check who she was up against.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glanced at the first matches of the day. She found her match immediately in the upper left corner, up against Allister. Kiyuki frowned, she had no idea who that was, so she looked at the other matches. Raihan vs Milo, Nessa vs Melony, Kabu vs Piers, and Bea vs Gordie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Found your first match?” A voice came from behind her, causing her to jump and whirl around.  Raihan grinned at her, his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets, before coming to stand next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I found it, yes,” Kiyuki replied, then continued in a whisper. “Who’s Allister?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Him.” Raihan said, tilting his head back towards the boy with the mask. “He’s the other Stow-on-Side Gym Leader, and runs the Gym every second year. Alternates with Bea, his sister. He specializes in Ghost-types.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… Ghost-types, huh?” Kiyuki replied. Flicker and Hallow will likely end up doing most of the work in that battle then. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not giving you any more information than that, you certainly don’t need an advantage,” Raihan laughed, then continued, his voice softer. “How are you feeling though?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nervous,” Kiyuki admitted. “But we’ll see how it goes. Who won this thing last year, out of curiosity?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me,” Raihan replied, grinning again. “I’ve won every year since becoming the Gym Leader, and this will be my 6th time winning. And I’m going to win my way through every round, then I’ll be the one taking on Leon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’ve never managed to defeat him,” Kiyuki said. Raihan winced, bringing one hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouch, way to hit it where it hurts. Yeah, but this year I will for sure! I’ve got new strategies, new ideas, Leon’s definitely going down this time! If I don’t reach him, then I’ll have failed to repay Duraludon and the rest of my team for all their hard work!” He replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was about to answer, but one of the League staff stepped into the room, a real one with the reflective sunglasses. “All right Gym Leaders and Gym Challenger, we’re about to begin the opening ceremony. Can I please get Gym Leaders Milo, Melony, Kabu, Bea, and Allister to come with me to the other side of the Stadium.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he left, the Gym Leaders he had named following him out. Kiyuki’s nerves were already frazzled and she just became more nervous, her hands starting to fiddle with the cuff of her sleeve again. The scene on the TV changed, the logo of the League flashing across the screen before focusing on Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was waving at the crowd, trying to get them to settle down before starting to speak. “It probably goes without saying, but… hello, Galar! I’m your Champion, Leon! The chairman is tied up with some business, so I hope no one minds me stepping in on his behalf… in order to lead you all to greater heights as Pokémon Trainers of the Galar region!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd roared, causing Kiyuki’s heart rate to speed up again. Another League staff came along and ushered her and the remaining Gym Leaders to the pitch. Leon kept talking as they walked through the dark tunnel, introducing her and the Gym Leaders. Kiyuki took a deep breath and dropped her hands before stepping out, the lights of the Stadium blinding her momentarily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once her eyes adjusted, she glanced around the crowd as she was walking forward. There wasn’t an empty seat to be found, even more so than the semifinals. Kiyuki shoved down another wave of anxiety and glanced back at Leon once she reached the middle of the pitch. He had just finished introducing everyone and was now waiting for the crowd to quiet down again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The time has come for you to battle it out until only the greatest challenger remains! So, on behalf of the chairman, allow me to say… let the Finals matches begin! Our first match of the day is Challenger Kiyuki versus Gym Leader Allister!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m first?! Oh man… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki gulped, but moved to the centre of the pitch anyways. The rest of the Gym Leaders started to disperse, heading back to the locker rooms to wait for their matches. Except for Allister, who made his way to the opposite side of the pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly made eye contact with Raihan, who held her gaze for a moment and gave her a smile before he turned and started walking away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you!” Someone yelled, causing Allister to stop in his tracks and Kiyuki to whirl around to the source. There was someone else walking out of the locker room, white hair and a pink and blue Gym uniform. Kiyuki’s eyes widened once she realized it was Bede, and the noise of the audience turned into an uneasy murmur. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stopped near the centre of the pitch. “A moment, if I may. Does anyone here even remember me? I am Bede, the challenger who was forced to withdraw from the Gym Challenge!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The noise of the audience rose slightly, seeming to remember. Bede stepped to the centre of the pitch, ignoring Allister, who was off to the side and didn’t really seem to know what to do. “I have a score to settle with Challenger Kiyuki here. I’m aware that this is against the rules, but I must ask nonetheless… Let me battle her! I’ll stake my career as a challenger on this battle. If I lose, I’ll retire from being a Trainer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bede! What are you doing?!” Kiyuki asked, finally finding her voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We always said that we would finish our rivalry in an official battle. And I intend to make that happen,” he replied. He wasn’t smiling at all still, but some of his usual smugness and contempt had disappeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki just stood there staring at him, trying to figure out if he was actually serious or not. Leon had already left the pitch, but the commentator was saying that they were trying to decide what to do with Bede. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know this is ridiculous of me. But I had to say something… do something! Ever since you showed up, everything I’ve done has gone wrong! It was Oleana who asked me to gather Wishing Stars for the chairman, but then the chairman himself disowned me…” Bede spoke again. He had his hands curled into fists and his gaze was trained downwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And then that strange old lady comes out of nowhere and drags me into a boot camp on Fairy-type Pokémon! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?! Covered in pink, dealing with quizzes and battles with Fairy-type Pokémon every day! And here I am, pouring my heart out to you… when I’ve never lost my cool before!” He yelled, finally meeting Kiyuki’s eyes at the end. The commentator spoke again before Kiyuki could reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve reached a decision, ladies and gentlemen! The Champion himself has accepted Bede’s sudden interruption! The match between Challenger Kiyuki and Gym Leader Allister will be postponed to a later time, and this match will not affect her tournament ranking. Is the Champion showing his love… by giving every Trainer a chance to grow stronger? Or is it a trial for Challenger Kiyuki?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered, and Allister left the field, heading back to the locker room. Bede took his place across the pitch from Kiyuki, holding a Great Ball in one hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bede… Are you sure about this? Staking your career on this battle?” Kiyuki asked. She hoped she could at least talk him out of that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded, and his gaze bored into Kiyuki’s, full of determination. “I’m sure. My will hasn’t been broken yet!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Fairy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>So be it, Bede. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki turned away from Bede and walked out to the battling lines. His battle pose was a lot more elegant now and less smug, Kiyuki noted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He led with a Mawile, while Kiyuki led with Flicker, who was at the front of her party when she was expecting to be battling Allister. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve faced too much to quit now! We’ve got no choice but to win!” He yelled. Kiyuki was a little startled by just how different he was since she had last seen him in Hammerlocke. He went straight for a Crunch, and Mawile lunged at Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flicker, dodge and Will-o-Wisp,” Kiyuki commanded, her simmering nervousness finally dissipating completely and allowing her to focus completely on the battle. Flicker giggled, then twirled to the side and left a few purple flames in his place. Mawile bit down on the flames instead of on him, then recoiled with an angry squeak as it was burned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for a Flamethrower to finish it off, but Mawile leapt into the air so the attack passed harmlessly beneath it, then landed another Crunch on Flicker. The Chandelure staggered back, but the Mawile’s burn minimized the damage he took. He retaliated with another Flamethrower, which connected and knocked out the Mawile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You alright, Flick?” Kiyuki asked as Bede recalled the defeated Mawile. Flicker made a noise in confirmation and hovered back in front of Kiyuki, falling into his battling pose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bede’s next Pokémon was Gardevoir, another new one he didn’t have before. Kiyuki called for a Shadow Ball right off the bat, not expecting it to knock out. But Bede blocked the attack with a Psychic, the two attacks exploding in a cloud of smoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Smoke… I might be able to use that to my advantage… </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Shadow Ball again!” She yelled, hoping Bede would use Psychic again. He did, and Kiyuki called for Flicker to move into the smoke. He completely disappeared, which was what Kiyuki was hoping for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He flung another Shadow Ball at Gardevoir, who used Psychic again to block and created another cloud of smoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay in the smoke, Flicker! Keep using Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki yelled. The Gardevoir blocked every single one, and although she couldn’t see Flicker, Kiyuki knew he had to be pretty close to the Gardevoir. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bede seemed to know that too, and called for a Dazzling Gleam to clear the smoke. Kiyuki was ready for that, however. “Dodge to the side and get behind it and Shadow Ball!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the Gardevoir’s attack blasted away the smoke in front of it, the Chandelure was nowhere to be seen. He appeared a moment later out of the smoke cloud closest to the Gardevoir, and flung a Shadow Ball at it. The attack connected despite Bede’s shout of warning, causing Gardevoir to stumble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It tried to Dazzling Gleam again to push Flicker back, but he followed up with an Energy Ball that finally knocked Gardevoir out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice one, Flicker!” Kiyuki called, smiling as the Chandelure returned to her side of the field. Bede still looked calm and collected despite Flicker having already taken out two of his Pokémon. The smug look she had come to expect from him was still gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His next Pokémon was Rapidash, but quite a different one from the Fire-type Kiyuki was used to. It was beautiful actually, a pink and blue mane and tail with a horn jutting out of its forehead. She remembered his Ponyta being Psychic-type, so if it was still a Psychic-type Pokémon, then it would still be weak to Ghost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One thing she certainly learned quickly, it was fast. It nimbly dodged her first Shadow Ball and retaliated with a Psycho Cut. Flicker wasn’t able to dodge in time and the beams of Psychic-type energy cut at him, causing him to recoil with a shriek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker spun around at Kiyuki’s command and lobbed another Shadow Ball at the Rapidash, but it dodged again. She tried to have Flicker trap it, but it nimbly leapt out of the way of the flames, landing another Psycho Cut on Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She had to somehow reduce its mobility, or she’d never hit it. And Flicker didn’t have the means to do that, especially since Bede was already familiar with his flame trapping ability and had the means to counter it. But there was one member of her team he wouldn’t be familiar with at all…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come back, Flicker! You did great, there’s nothing more you can do!” Kiyuki yelled. Flicker had already taken way too much damage anyways, but still… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Bringing in a Dragon-type to fight a Fairy-type… I must be out of my mind. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bede raised his eyebrows at her when Sacha appeared, seemingly echoing her thoughts. But Sacha had a move that she hadn’t used in an official battle yet, so Bede would have no idea it was coming. She just had to make sure Rapidash couldn’t dodge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slow it down, Sacha! Ice Beam the ground!” Kiyuki called, extending her hand out and grinning at Bede. She didn’t know if he was watching her match with Hop, but her plan would hopefully still work even if he did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rapidash had already used Psycho Cut as Flicker was switching out, and it connected with Sacha, but only did a little damage. The Goodra roared before launching her Ice Beam at the ground surrounding the Rapidash, encircling it in a ring of icy grass. It still had a little room to maneuver, but the strip of ice boxed it in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rapidash scraped a hoof at the frozen ground, before stepping back towards Bede. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on, Bede… Fall for it! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew her plan worked as soon as he commanded Rapidash to jump over the ice strip, and she grinned. Rapidash took a running start and leapt into the air, its horn already starting to glow with another Psycho Cut. But in the air was exactly where Kiyuki wanted it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sludge Bomb, now!” Kiyuki yelled, finally revealing Sacha’s last move. Bede’s eyes widened as the super effective Poison-type attack connected, knocking Rapidash back into the ice ring, which was starting to melt now. It stood up and shook the remaining poison out of its mane, but was unfortunately not knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finish it with a Thunderbolt!” Kiyuki called. Bede had opted for a Dazzling Gleam this time and hopped to the side while doing so, anticipating another Sludge Bomb. Sacha’s Thunderbolt passed through the Dazzling Gleam, snaking out to hit Rapidash in its dodge. The Dazzling Gleam also hit Sacha, but she remained standing while Rapidash was finally knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered again, but Bede still looked calm and not smug as he recalled the defeated Rapidash. “Tsk! What’s with that calm expression… Think you’re going to win? We’ll show you a truly great pink. It’s time for my dear Hatterene to Gigantamax!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hatterene? Is that Hattrem’s evolution? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It certainly bore some resemblance, but Bede had already pulled it back into its Ball and Gigantamaxed it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The massive Hatterene stared down at her, its eyes glowing out of the signature red storm of chaotic Dynamax energy. Kiyuki quickly switched Sacha back out and Dynamaxed Cornelius instead, the Corviknight growing to a massive size behind her and roaring. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cornelius attacked first with a Max Steelspike, which battered Bede’s Hatterene, but didn’t knock it out. It retaliated with a Max Flare, surprising Kiyuki that it knew a Fire-type attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a sigh of relief when it did even less damage than her Max Steelspike did. Another Max Steelspike proved to be too much to take and finished off Hatterene. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its cry echoed around the stadium as Hatterene shrunk back down to normal size in a cloud of fire, and Bede turned around as he pulled it back into its Ball. Cornelius also shrunk back down and squawked once at Bede before Kiyuki recalled him back into his Ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To her surprise, Bede didn’t look angry or upset like he’s been the last few times she’s defeated him. He had his eyes closed and his face tilted down with his fist pressed up against his chest, but Kiyuki could swear he was smiling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s really changed…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I lost…” He said, opening his eyes and stepping forward to meet Kiyuki in the centre of the pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t give up, Bede. You can try again. Start again. Like I did when I left Hoenn,” Kiyuki told him, ignoring the commentator. The noise of the crowd rose, seemingly echoing her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“B-but this isn’t what I planned! If I was able to defeat you, then everything would be fine. Even if I lost, I was going to use retiring as an excuse to get away from that old lady! You just keep messing up my plans!” He replied, pressing a hand to his forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Kiyuki laughed and shrugged. “But your plans are pretty susceptible to me messing them up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened again, and Kiyuki could swear he was blushing now. “With everyone cheering me on like this, I have no choice but to continue my training as the Fairy-type Gym Leader! Though I suppose with my talents, I’ll be able to overtake Ms. Opal in no time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smirked at her, and Kiyuki grinned back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s the Bede I know. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The crowd started cheering again and she held out her hand. Bede stared at it for a moment, but eventually took it and shook her hand. “Good luck, Bede. You’ll be a great Gym Leader,” She told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He just stared at her again. “I expect I’ll be seeing you again. Someone’s gotta knock that Champion down a peg or two.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki just smiled in response, then turned and headed back to the locker room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice of the commentator came on again. “The match between Challenger Kiyuki and Gym Leader Allister will be temporarily postponed to a later time to allow Kiyuki to rest after that unexpected match! The tournament will continue as planned, with the next match being Gym Leader Milo versus Gym Leader Raihan!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered again once Kiyuki stepped back into the dark tunnel, walking to the locker room while still lost in thought. So much that she nearly walked into Raihan again as he was coming out of the locker room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa! Careful!” He said, stepping to the side to avoid her. “I’ll see you later, I’ve got a match to win.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki felt her face heat up, extremely embarrassed that she had somehow managed to nearly walk into him for the second time in two days. “Sorry! Lost in thought! Good luck!” She said hurriedly, slipping past him into the locker room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed her water bottle and sat down on the bench across the TV. The battle between Milo and Raihan was about to begin, but her attention got pulled away from the match when Nessa sat down beside her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised that Challenger Bede would interrupt the Finals like that,” she said, making Kiyuki jump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Kiyuki gave a small laugh, and took another drink of water. “But we always said we’d finish our rivalry in an official battle, so I guess we did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does that bother you?” Nessa asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really, no,” Kiyuki replied. “Our last battle didn’t end on a good note, I was too angry and bent on revenge to think clearly. I completely wiped his team with just Flicker, back when he was still a Litwick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nessa hummed. “Just a Litwick? That’s pretty impressive. You’re quite strong, you know. Sonia wasn’t lying. I hope that we’ll get another chance to battle in the second round after I defeat Melony, and if you manage to defeat Allister.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When’s your match?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nessa gestured up to the TV, where Flygon had just defeated Milo’s Eldegoss. But it was a little difficult to see through Raihan’s sandstorm. “After this one. Milo got the short end of the stick, being up against Raihan first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of you guys have managed to beat him?” Kiyuki asked. “He said he’s won the tournament every year since he’s been a Gym Leader.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Melony and Piers are the only ones that have beaten him before, but Melony is the only one that can consistently beat him. Type advantage, I suppose. She specializes in Ice-types,” Nessa replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ice-types?! That’s bad news… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki hadn’t thought about it before, but she just had the realization that half her team was weak to Ice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could’ve planned that better. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You and Raihan are a lot alike, you know,” Nessa continued, watching the battle on the screen. Raihan had Gigantamaxed Duraludon, while Milo had Gigantamaxed his Flapple. But according to the screen, Milo was on his last Pokémon while Raihan still had all of his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably why you two get along so well. And why you…” Nessa stopped for a second to nudge Kiyuki with her shoulder, giving her a smirk. “Have a very obvious crush on him,” She finished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki felt her face traitorously heat up. “N-no I don’t! He’s way out of my league anyways!” She stammered, trying to defend herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How have Hop, Marnie, and Nessa managed to figure that out? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh, sure.” Nessa smiled. “But he won’t be if you become the Champion.” She added in a whisper, before standing up and walking to the locker room exit once the League staff called her name. She shot Kiyuki a wink and disappeared out the doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Challenger Kiyuki?” The League staff started. “Your match with Gym Leader Allister will be next. Please be ready when the battle is over.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what do you guys think of the Isle of Armour? I quite liked it, although I haven't found Swablu or Altaria yet. Quite fun regardless.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Allister</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raihan didn’t return to the locker room after he defeated Milo, which both relieved and disappointed Kiyuki. She was left alone on the bench, watching the end of the match between Melony and Nessa. Melony won, but it wasn’t a landslide victory like Raihan’s match. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which meant that Kiyuki’s match was next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her nerves weren’t as frazzled as before battling Bede, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still nervous. She hasn’t battled Allister before, and she remembered Kabu telling her that his Chandelure was also capable of the flame trapping. And he would certainly know that hers could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The League staff called her up, and Kiyuki stood up and stepped into the dark tunnel, just as the commentator’s voice rang over the Stadium again. “All right, ladies and gentlemen here in the Stadium and at home! We are now ready to proceed with what was originally the first match of the day before Challenger Bede’s interruption! That’s right, it's Challenger Kiyuki versus Gym Leader Allister, the silent boy of mystery! The winner of this match will face Gym Leader Melony in the second round!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered as Kiyuki stepped out onto the pitch, crossing to the centre to meet Allister. He came out the other side of the Stadium, mask still on and his hands held out like a ghost himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“…’M Allister,” he started, so quiet that Kiyuki had to strain to hear him over the crowd. “I’ve been watching your battles, you’re really strong. My sister said you were the strongest Gym Challenger she had. Er… so I reckon… we sh-should battle!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded, giving him a small smile before turning and walking out for the battle. Allister was sort of slumped over, but the eyes of his mask were glowing a ghostly purple now, which Kiyuki found extremely cool. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Allister sent out a Dusknoir, and Kiyuki sent out Flicker to meet it. He giggled at Allister and brightened his flames. “That’s not gonna happen… Flicker, is it?” Allister said, lifting his head up. His mask had stopped glowing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… He can understand Ghost-type Pokémon?! That’s awesome! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Um… What did he say to you?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He told me I was going down,” Allister replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, he’s got that right. Will-o-Wisp!” Kiyuki grinned, extending her hand out. Flicker shot several small flames at the Dusknoir. But it easily floated to the side and avoided them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The eye pattern on Dusknoir briefly glowed, causing several dark circles to form around in the air around Flicker. Shadowy fists suddenly came out of each one, striking Flicker before disappearing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shadow Punch… Can’t dodge that… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for another Will-o-Wisp, but had Flicker fan the flames out a little more so Dusknoir couldn’t dodge this time. The flames connected this time and burned Dusknoir, which roared and readied a Rock Tomb. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trap the rocks, Flicker! Don’t let them hit you!” Kiyuki yelled, and Flicker hissed in confirmation. He whirled around the first few rocks that came at him, and sent out a series of small flames at the rest. The flames encircled the rocks and stopped them in their tracks, leaving them floating in midair and glowing with ghostly fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-oh! You can do it too!” Allister said, the eyes of his mask lighting up again as he spoke. “I haven’t seen any other Chandelure that can do it… But we’ll keep fighting… Shadow Punch, Dusknoir…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not this time! Return the favour, then follow up with a Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki yelled. Dusknoir began to glow again to launch another Shadow Punch, but Flicker giggled and flung the rocks back at it. It staggered, the glow fading, and was knocked out by the Shadow Ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered, and Allister recalled the downed Dusknoir, bringing out his own Chandelure in its place. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right… This is where the fun begins. Only one of us needs to land a Shadow Ball to knock the other out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Allister’s Chandelure moved first, flinging a Shadow Ball at Flicker. He blocked it with his own Shadow Ball, and the two Pokémon stared at each other while Kiyuki tried to throw together a plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ultimately had Flicker use Shadow Ball again, but small flames broke off from Allister’s Chandelure, which encircled the attack and stopped it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What… he can do that?! We’re going to need to work on that one.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chandelure held the Shadow Ball in place for a moment, before laughing and sending it flying back at Flicker. He managed to spin around and avoid it at Kiyuki’s shout, but she really had no idea what else to try next. Allister had a way around her every move.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It can trap the Shadow Ball, or block it with his own. It’s probably got Flash Fire too, so Flamethrower’s no good. Will-o-Wisp wouldn’t do anything anyways, and Energy Ball is resisted. Dark Pulse would’ve been seriously convenient right about now…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki heard Allister give another command, snapping her out of her thoughts. More small flames broke off and started snaking along the pitch towards Flicker. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Energy Ball those flames! Don’t get trapped!” Kiyuki yelled, not wanting to waste any Shadow Balls. Flicker flung a glowing green ball at the ground, which sent dust and dirt scattering around. It extinguished the flames, but Flicker suddenly froze in place. Somehow, Allister’s Chandelure had managed to send some flames around another way, and Kiyuki hadn’t even noticed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She swore under her breath, watching as Chandelure threw Flicker into the air and followed up with a Shadow Ball. Flicker spun around in the air, trying to reorient himself, and Kiyuki called for a Shadow Ball to block Allister’s attack. Miraculously, Flicker’s Shadow Ball connected with Allister’s, sending it off course and into the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The powerful attack also flung grass and dirt into the air as Flicker finally landed, still fighting. Flicker and Allister’s Chandelure were so evenly matched, and Kiyuki’s mind reeled as she tried to think of a way to gain the upper hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her gaze fell on the loose dirt kicked up by the deflected Shadow Ball. It gave her an idea, realizing that Flicker had one advantage over Allister’s Chandelure, being that he was accustomed to working in a sandstorm. She just had to figure out how to do that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Flicker. New plan. Use your flames and trap all that dirt, then get it spinning,” Kiyuki told her Chandelure. Flicker made a noise to confirm, then all the dirt kicked up from the Shadow Ball and his earlier Energy Ball started to rise up into the air, glowing with purple ghost fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker dodged another Shadow Ball with Kiyuki’s shout, then started to twist his dirt cloud into a ghostly glowing dust tornado. The crowd yelled and cheered, and Flicker sent it flying towards Allister’s Chandelure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It hissed, but couldn’t move out of the way fast enough and became engulfed in the tornado. Flicker kept it spinning, ultimately flinging Chandelure up into the air. He followed up with a Shadow Ball, which connected and finally knocked out Allister’s Chandelure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Great job, Flicker! Can you still battle?” Kiyuki grinned, and Flicker fell back into his battling stance. He was certainly tired now, his fire dimmer, but was clearly still capable of battling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t believe that worked!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Allister stayed silent as the crowd cheered, simply recalling his Chandelure and bringing out his Cursola. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What a cool Pokémon… </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought. It stretched out its ghostly branches, shimmering in the Stadium lights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker moved first, using Shadow Ball again. But the Cursula’s form flickered, and it momentarily disappeared back into its base so the attack passed harmlessly overhead. It reappeared a second later, shimmering and attacking with Hex. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker had followed up with another Shadow Ball, with Kiyuki aiming to catch it as it was coming back out of its base. He was too tired from battling Chandelure to dodge, and the Hex knocked him out. His Shadow Ball also connected and did sizable damage to Cursula, but it remained standing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did great, Flicker. Get some rest,” Kiyuki told the defeated Chandelure, pulling him back into his Ball. Losing one of her two Pokémon that had a type advantage might be a problem later, but Kiyuki was confident that Nimbus could at least finish the Cursula. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She brought out Nimbus, who hummed a few notes as she did a small loop in the air.  Nimbus watched the Cursula for a moment, her mouth already glowing with a Dragon Pulse. Cursula tried to Hex Nimbus, but it was too slow and got knocked out by the Dragon Pulse, having taken enough damage from Flicker’s Shadow Ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which left only one Pokémon before Allister’s Gigantamax, which turned out to be a Polteageist. Nimbus squawked at it, and Polteageist briefly popped out of the teapot’s spout to wave its tiny arms around, which Kiyuki found absolutely adorable. But she knew better than to underestimate this teapot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dragon Pulse again, Nimbus!” Kiyuki called, watching the beam of Dragon-type energy connect with the Polteageist, pushing it back. It didn’t do nearly as much damage as Kiyuki was hoping, and Polteageist shrugged it off. It giggled at her, using Nasty Plot, then floated forward much faster than before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Weak Armour… that’s bad. The more I hit it, the faster it gets. And it’s going to take at least 3 more Dragon Pulses to knock it out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Careful, Nimbus. Get ready to dodge, and ready another Dragon Pulse,” Kiyuki told the Altaria, who hummed in confirmation and started gathering the Dragon-type energy around her mouth again. She stretched out her wings and hovered in the air, waiting for Polteageist’s move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Polteageist flung a Shadow Ball at Nimbus, who ducked underneath it and released the Dragon Pulse. She landed the hit again, forcing Polteageist back again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It used the speed it had been gaining to immediately attack again with another Shadow Ball before Nimbus could ready another Dragon Pulse. “Block it with a Moonblast!” Kiyuki yelled, hoping Nimbus could react quick enough. She flung a sparkling pink ball at the incoming Shadow Ball, and the two attacks exploded in a cloud of smoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Polteageist recovered much quicker than Kiyuki could’ve imagined, and used Shadow Ball again. The smoke obscured Nimbus’ vision, and she didn’t see the Shadow Ball until it came flying out of the smoke and slammed into her. She squawked and dropped down closer to the ground, but shook it off a moment later and flew back up. It was a sizable hit, and she certainly couldn’t take another one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus squawked again and fired off another Dragon Pulse, which clipped the Polteageist as it tried to dodge. It retaliated with a Shadow Ball, which Nimbus blocked with another Moonblast. The cloud of smoke appeared again, but Kiyuki ordered Nimbus to fly up this time. That way, the follow-up Shadow Ball that came flying out of the smoke missed her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another Dragon Pulse, and Polteageist finally went down as the crowd cheered some more. They started to sing, realizing Allister was on his last Pokémon. Kiyuki recalled Nimbus and brought out Hallow, just as Allister sent out a Gengar. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… Gengar has a Gigantamax?! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My very last Pokémon… How lonely… How frightening…” Allister said, before the eyes of his mask lit up again. “Gengar… Gigantamax… Swallow everything in darkness…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled Gengar back into its Ball, Gigantamaxing it and tossing the ball behind him. Kiyuki didn’t see anything at first besides the glow of Dynamax energy, until two purple arms popped up out of the ground and Gengar pulled itself up. It’s mouth was huge, literally looking like it was ready to swallow her as it roared.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki didn’t feel afraid of it though, and just pulled Hallow back into her Ball and Dynamaxed her. The Mimikyu matched Gengar’s size, her cry echoing around the Stadium as her shadowy claws came out again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s finish this, Allister. Ghost-type against ghost-type. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gengar was faster, which Kiyuki didn’t find too surprising. She was very glad she had kept Hallow’s Disguise intact. “G-Max Terror… It’s like Shadow Tag… You won’t get away… I won’t you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The attack took the form of a random assortment of objects, everything from a teapot to a chair, glowing with ghostly purple energy. The objects slammed into Hallow, sending out a pillar of purple energy, and Gengar’s form briefly appeared underneath her, grabbing her shadow preventing her from escaping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the attack did nothing but cause the head of Hallow’s disguise to fall to the side, leaving her mostly unharmed and capable of taking another attack. “We don’t need to get away! Max Phantasm!” Kiyuki yelled. Hallow’s attack took a similar form as Gengar’s, with the random objects and all, but didn’t trap it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hallow was able to survive the next G-Max Terror and finish off Gengar with a second Max Phantasm, allowing Kiyuki to let out a sigh of relief as it shrunk back down. Hallow shrunk as well, and jumped up onto Kiyuki’s shoulder, giving a happy laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smiled, praising the Mimikyu for her hard work, and kept her there on her shoulder as she turned back to Allister. His mask was still on, and he was sort of leaning back. Kiyuki met him back at the centre of the pitch. “You’re really strong… Maybe my mask kept me from seeing that… Crumbs… Flicker and Hallow are so strong. G-give it your best out there with the rest of your matches…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Allister. I hope we’ll get to battle again at some point,” Kiyuki replied, and turned back to the locker room when he didn’t reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice of the commentator came back on as Kiyuki stepped back into the dark tunnel. “Challenger Kiyuki sails right past Gym Leader Allister, and she will battle Gym Leader Melony next! But first, we have our final match of the first round, Gym Leader Bea versus Gym Leader Gordie! The winner of this match will face Gym Leader Piers in the next round!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The locker room was nearly empty when Kiyuki returned. Only Piers was there, sitting on a bench and typing on his phone. Kiyuki waved at him, then grabbed her water bottle and sat down on another bench in front of the TV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The match had just begun, and Kiyuki took small sips of water as she watched Bea’s Hawlucha battling Gordie’s Barbaracle. Thinking about it now, she was getting seriously nervous about her next match. She hadn’t thought about it when she was constructing her team, but she was now realizing now her team was not at all equipped to deal with Ice-types. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From watching Nessa’s match against Melony, Kiyuki knew she was up against a Frosmoth, a Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan and a Gigantamax Lapras. She couldn’t remember the other two Pokémon she had, but that Lapras was bad news. It knew an Electric-type attack too, meaning Cornelius couldn’t just chip away at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She would need to come up with a plan, and quickly. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yes, there's the one moveset change that I mentioned a few chapters ago. Nimbus now knows Moonblast instead of Dazzling Gleam, but everything else is the same. </p><p>Also, I found something really cool in the Isle of Armour. I think after you beat the DLC story, one of the Gym Leaders will randomly show up somewhere on the Isle each day. I found Gordie yesterday, and found Milo today, both just chilling out. So that's pretty cool.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Melony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bea defeated Gordie much too soon for Kiyuki’s liking, and she still hadn’t put together a plan to deal with Melony’s Lapras. She knew she’d be fine with Melony’s other Pokémon, with Flicker, Hylla, and Cornelius all knowing super effective attacks, but it was that Lapras that she was worried about.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Flicker and Hylla were weak to the Water-types attacks, Nimbus and Sacha were weak to the Ice-type attacks, and Cornelius was weak to the Electric-type attacks. The only member of her team that didn’t get hit super effective was Hallow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess we’re improvising a bit… </span>
  </em>
  <span>The League Staff called her up, ushering her into the dark tunnel once again. The crowd was cheering, and the commentator’s voice rang out again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now ready to begin the second round of the Finals! First up, we have Challenger Kiyuki versus the ice-cold professional herself, Gym Leader Melony! Who will advance to the third round and a step closer to challenging the Undefeated Champion?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki stood up straighter when she stepped out onto the pitch, trying to look as if she wasn’t nervous. Melony appeared out of the other tunnel, meeting Kiyuki in the centre of the pitch and smiling at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am Melony. As you can clearly see, I’ve assembled a team of all Ice-type Pokémon. I’ve been hoping I’d have a chance to battle you, Challenger Kiyuki, but you won’t be able to escape when I freeze you solid. And after that…” She said, crossing her arms. “Well, you’ll see. I think you’ll find my battle style is quite severe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That does not sound good… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded in response, not really having too much to say. Melony turned and walked to the battling lines on the pitch, and the noise of the crowd rose as Kiyuki did the same, reaching for Flicker’s Premier Ball as she walked. As much as she would like to let him rest after battling Allister, she would need him for this battle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Melony led with the Frosmoth Kiyuki had seen in the battle against Nessa. Kiyuki watched it unfurl its beautiful icy wings, before sending in Flicker to meet it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flamethrower, Flicker!” Kiyuki called, hoping to just knock out the Frosmoth before it could get anything set up. Flicker sent a burst of fire careening at the Frosmoth, but it just flapped its wings and drifted to the side to avoid the attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It gave a small hiss, then activated Tailwind, causing a breeze of cold air to blow from behind it. Kiyuki swore under her breath at losing the speed advantage, but quickly called for a second Flamethrower. Flicker obliged, and the attack connected this time. Frosmoth didn’t stand a chance and was instantly knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Melony brought in a Mr. Rime to take advantage of the Tailwind. Its feet tapped against the ground, leaving a thin layer of frost on the grass wherever its feet touched. It kept tapping its feet as it used Nasty Plot to raise its special attack enough to threaten Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not good… </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki yelled. She had to get rid of this Mr. Rime as quickly as possible. Flicker flung the crackling ball of purple energy at Mr. Rime, but it simply danced to the side to avoid it. It tapped its feet a few more times, then spun its cane around as its eyes started to glow when it readied a Psychic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch out! Spin to the right!” Kiyuki called, but the blast of psychic energy hit Flicker out of his spin. He got sent flying back towards Kiyuki, and skidded to a halt in front of her. He hissed at the Mr. Rime, shaking off the attack and floating forward again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s all right… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief, then ordered Flicker to use Flamethrower again. He fanned the attack out, surrounding Mr. Rime and knocking it out before it could dodge or use Psychic again. The crowd cheered again as Melony recalled the defeated Mr. Rime, but there was still a cold wind blowing from Melony’s side of the field, indicating that Tailwind was still up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Two down. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Melony’s next Pokémon was an Eiscue, who instantly went for a Surf. Kiyuki shoved her panic down at the wave of water, ordering Flicker to dodge. She refused to allow herself to get distracted, especially not now knowing that Eiscue had something super effective against Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, the wave was quite narrow and Flicker was easily able to spin out of the way. Kiyuki focused on Flicker to keep her thoughts under control, and called for another Flamethrower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To her surprise, Eiscue went for a Freeze-Dry. But it aimed at the ground instead of at Flicker, covering a relatively large area of the battlefield in ice. It kicked off the ground and slid on its belly across the ice to avoid the Flamethrower, which did nothing but melt a swathe through it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eiscue slid to the other side of its improvised skating rink, climbing back up to its feet on the other side. It flapped its wings and used Hail, then slid back across towards Melony to avoid the Flamethrower Flicker shot at it. Chunks of ice started to fall from the sky, battering Flicker and solidifying the ice on the pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eiscue used Freeze-Dry on the ground again, then started to slide again. The ice may give it a movement advantage, but it couldn’t change direction once it had started to slide, Kiyuki noticed. She watched its movements, then called for Flicker to use Flamethrower again, but a few feet in front of it this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker sent his attack billowing towards the sliding Eiscue, sending up a cloud of steam where it connected with the ice on the ground. Eiscue tried to use its wings to stop its slide, but ended up going straight into the cloud of fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smiled, but then another Surf appeared out of the steam and slammed into Flicker before he could dodge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the fire and the steam dissipated, both Eiscue and Flicker were down. It was still hailing, but the cold wind disappeared, telling Kiyuki that Melony’s Tailwind had finally run out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great job, Flicker. Get some rest,” Kiyuki told the defeated Chandelure as she recalled him. She sent in Hylla in his place, who gave Kiyuki a vaguely annoyed look when the hail bounced off of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Melony’s next Pokémon was the Darmanitan, and Kiyuki knew this one had the ability to enter zen mode. And she remembered that Nessa’s Water-type attacks had been super effective against it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the fact that Melony’s Tailwind had petered out, Darmanitan was still faster than Hylla. It smashed its fists against the ice-covered ground, causing several large, sharp icicles to rain down on Hylla. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She recoiled, hissing from the super effective Icicle Crash, but survived the hit. In response, she spat up a powerful sandstorm that blew away Melony’s hail. Darmanitan roared as it got battered by the sand, raising one hand to shield its eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for a Rock Slide while the Darmanitan was still trying to deal with the sand. Hylla responded with a hiss, before causing rocks to rain down on her opponent. Darmanitan stumbled back, roaring again as it became engulfed in a yellow light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the light faded, it had changed into a more snowman-like shape with a sinister grin on the bottom snowball and a plume of fire coming out of the top. It bounced in place, waiting for Melony’s command as it roared again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rock Slide again!” Kiyuki yelled, but the Darmanitan was way faster than Kiyuki expected, and just bounced out of the way. It retaliated with another Icicle Crash, which Hylla just barely dodged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Use Glare, Hylla! Slow it down!” The Sandaconda hissed from within the sandstorm, her eyes briefly flashing red and paralyzing the Darmanitan. It roared again, and the large icicles appeared above Hylla again as it went for another Icicle Crash. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for a Rock Slide to block the Icicle Crash, and the rocks managed to knock away the falling ice, leaving Hylla unharmed. “Follow up with a High Horsepower!” Kiyuki yelled, and Hylla struck out with lightning speed. The super effective hit was more than enough to finish the Darmanitan, and the crowd started to chant as Melony pulled it back into its ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh dear, down to my last Pokémon already? You’re quite good at this, I must say. But even if it cracks, ice is still ice!” Melony called to her, bringing out the Lapras Kiyuki had been dreading. “Come now—go on and Gigantamax. I’ll let you freeze her solid,” she added, but Kiyuki realized she was talking to her Lapras and not to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Melony pulled Lapras back into its Ball, allowing it to Gigantamax. She gave the Dynamax Ball a quick hug before flinging it behind her. Kiyuki watched the Lapras grow, surrounded by a ring of ice crystals and turning its shell into a massive cruise ship, like the ones that used to fill the harbour of Slateport City whenever Kiyuki used to visit with her parents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But those times were gone now, and Kiyuki now had to improvise a plan to deal with this Lapras. She switched out Hylla and brought in Sacha instead, hoping that Thunderbolt would do something. Kiyuki Dynamaxed her, confident that she could withstand the super effective Ice-type attacks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Dynamaxed Goodra towered over the battlefield, and Kiyuki called for a Max Lightning. Sacha sent the crackling bolt of electricity at the Lapras, which slammed into it before travelling down and across the ground, electrifying it in its wake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lapras roared from the hit, but didn’t take nearly as much damage as Kiyuki was hoping. “A Dragon-type, huh? My partner’s signature move will send you to a subzero world!” Melony called to her from across the field, extending her hand out as she called for a G-Max Resonance. Lapras conjured up several massive chunks of ice that rained down on Sacha and left a shimmering Aurora Veil behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although Sacha had taken the super effective hit surprisingly well, the Aurora Veil now meant that Lapras would knock her out before Sacha could finish it off. But she could make it less threatening…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s switch it up, Sacha! Max Ooze!” Kiyuki yelled, and the Goodra hit Lapras with a wave of purple goo. It did even less damage than the Max Lightning, but for once, Kiyuki wasn’t going for damage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the next G-Max Resonance came out, it did less damage than the first one. Kiyuki called for a second Max Ooze to reduce its special attack even more, further reducing the damage that Sacha took from the Lapras’ final G-Max Resonance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Pokémon shrunk back down to their normal sizes, the Dynamax energy having run out. “Now! Thunderbolt!” Kiyuki called over the chanting of the crowd. Sacha roared and sent the bolt of electricity at the Lapras, using the Electric Terrain to boost its power. Lapras tried to block it with an Ice Beam, but the attacks passed through each other and found their respective targets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The electricity crackled around the Lapras as it gave a pained cry, before shooting another Ice Beam at Sacha. “Block it with Dragon Pulse!” Kiyuki yelled hurriedly. Sacha’s attack met the Ice Beam head on, pushing the beam of ice back before the two attacks exploded in a cloud of smoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for a Thunderbolt to follow up, and Sacha drew the last bit of power from the dwindling Electric Terrain. The powered-up bolt snapped through the air, smashing through the faltering Aurora Veil and finishing off Melony’s Lapras. The crowd roared as Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief, watching Melony recall the defeated Lapras with a surprised and disappointed look on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sacha gave a happy gurgle at Kiyuki, before bouncing up and giving her a big slimy hug. Kiyuki didn’t mind, and just laughed as she hugged the Goodra back. “Thanks, Sacha. I couldn’t have won this without you,” she told her, and Sacha gave her a smile before letting her go. Kiyuki returned her to her Ball before meeting Melony back in the middle of the pitch. She was already waiting there, and was just watching Kiyuki with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am impressed that you managed to defeat my partner with such a considerable type disadvantage,” Melony said, smiling and adjusting the collar of her shirt. “Of course, seeing my Pokémon lose is sad, but to meet someone so young with such talent is quite grand. I will keep aiming for that grand victory, but I look forward to seeing where you will go, Challenger Kiyuki.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki thanked Melony, then tried to wipe Sacha’s slime off one of her hands onto her shorts. It didn’t work particularly well, and she gave Melony a sheepish smile as she shook her hand. But Melony just laughed, not seeming too bothered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The commentator spoke up again as Kiyuki left the pitch, declaring her as the victor and announcing the next match, Bea versus Piers. The locker room was empty when Kiyuki got there, and she grabbed her water bottle and walked over to the screen displaying the tournament bracket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turns out, she was done with her matches for a little while. It was Bea versus Piers right now, then the winner of that match was up against Raihan. Then she would face the winner of that match.  Meaning there was one match between her and Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Psst… Hey, Kiyuki!” A voice came from a door beside the elevator, which fully opened a moment later. Hop and Marnie poked their heads into the locker room, and waved at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! How’d you get down here?” Kiyuki asked, stepping closer to the door, which apparently led to a stairwell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Snuck in, of course! You’ve got some time before your next match, after all!” Hop grinned at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Although, we shouldn’t technically be down ‘ere,” Marnie added. “But we wanted to wish you luck before your last match.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, you guys,” Kiyuki smiled, “I appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your last two battles were brilliant, mate! You’ll probably be up against Raihan next, battling it out for the chance to take on my brother!” Hop said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s probably the most realistic. Raihan’s won every year. As much as I’d like my bro to win, prove to the world that us Spikemuth Trainers aren’t weak,” Marnie said, having to shift her foot to prop the door open when Hop had let go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! You’re not weak, Marn! It’s the opposite, and I’m sure the world knows that! I know I do!” Hop exclaimed, his hand brushing Marnie’s shoulder before he seemingly changed his mind and moved it to the door instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned when Marnie turned the colour of a Tamato berry, but the volume of Hop’s voice had alerted the League staff, who appeared to shoo them back up the stairs. Hop and Marnie wished Kiyuki luck once again, before letting go of the door and running back up the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Since when did he call her ‘Marn?’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>She smiled, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s quite an interesting development there, my friend. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of the crowd cheering caused Kiyuki to glance up at the TV. Bea’s Machamp was defeated, and the commentator declared Piers as the winner of the match. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki pulled out her phone, typing a message to Hop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just admit that you like her, already. It’s painfully obvious.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop didn’t answer for a few minutes, only after the five minute break was up. Piers and Raihan had just stepped onto the pitch when Kiyuki's phone beeped, and she glanced down at it. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>Hop’s only reply was </span>
  <em>
    <span>No way!, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Kiyuki just shook her head and shut her phone off. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Those two are hopeless. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, bad news. I have officially run out of chapters that I had already written, meaning that updates are not going to be nearly as frequent from now on. But I will upload chapters as I finish them, but that likely won't be on a regular schedule. So just keep an eye open, I guess. </p><p>I'm very glad that you're all enjoying this, and I always look forward to reading your comments. So thank you!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one ended up much longer than I was expecting. I think I got a little carried away. Whoops.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raihan sat down on the bench in the locker room at the Eastern side of the Stadium, very glad for the 5 minute break between the matches. Despite not Dynamaxing, Piers still nearly had him backed into a corner before Duraludon managed to take out Obstagoon. If Piers did ultimately decide to Dynamax one day, Raihan had a feeling that he’d be in serious trouble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But now there was only one more match between him and Leon, and it was against Kiyuki. He had hoped that she would be the one to make it through, and he was quite excited at getting to battle her again with his new reworked team for Single Battles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yet, she was a force to be reckoned with, and would not go down easy. She had even defeated Melony, something even he hadn’t yet managed to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One thing that he knew for certain was that she wasn’t going to get past him this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The League staff at the door called him up, indicating that the break was over. Raihan took another drink of water and took a selfie before stepping into the dark tunnel. He rolled his shoulders once before grabbing his phone and slipping his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He smiled as he stepped back out onto the pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice of the commentator came back on. “All right, here it is, the last match of the Finals! Who will earn the right to challenge the unbeatable Champion Leon?! Will it be the rising star, Challenger Kiyuki? Or will it be the only Trainer that Champion Leon calls his rival… the tamer of dragons, Raihan?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think we know the answer to that question. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan pulled the hand that wasn’t holding his phone out of his pocket to wave at the crowd, watching Kiyuki appear out of the tunnel on the other side of the Stadium. She certainly had the same confident look she always had, her eyes intently focused and determined. Raihan knew she would throw everything she had at him in this battle, and he had no intentions of losing either. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know…” She started when they both reached the centre of the pitch, “when we said we should battle again, I didn’t necessarily expect so soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan smiled. “Maybe not, but I’m not too surprised that you’ve made all the way here! You’re really something else, you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smirked when Kiyuki turned red again, but she didn’t say anything else. “I guess that’s why the Champion himself endorsed you, yeah? Leon’s my rival—and he chose you. So if I’m going to beat him, I’ve got to prove that I’m better than you! You might have beaten me once already, but you’re not getting past the great Raihan this time! And If you’re thinking that I’m the same Raihan you faced in the Gym, then you’ll soon regret it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Kiyuki didn’t look at all intimidated, instead matching his smirk. “We’ll see about that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh? Confident aren’t we? I meant every word… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan spun around on his heel, listening to the familiar crescendo of the crowd as he headed out to the battling lines, grabbing Torkoal’s Ultra Ball as he walked. When he turned, Kiyuki was far on the other side, holding a Poké Ball in her hand. Raihan couldn’t tell what type it was from where he was, but it was probably that Chandelure of hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned at her, raising his hand to let his phone fly out of his hand to hover behind him. He slashed at the air with his hands like he always did, tossing Torkoal’s Ball in front of him before jumping back and crouching down. “Let’s do this, Torkoal! Get the sunlight burning!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki tilted her head slightly when Torkoal appeared, but threw the Ball she was holding in her hand anyways. The burst of darkness that came with it told Raihan that it wasn’t her Chandelure, but her Mimikyu. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now why would she send that out… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was certainly less of a threat than the Chandelure, that was for sure. It should be easy enough for Torkoal to get rid of the Mimikyu. He ordered a Lava Plume right off the bat, while Kiyuki called for a Swords Dance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her Mimikyu sharpened her claws, but couldn’t dodge the Lava Plume in time and the fire connected. Hallow waved her arms around to put out the embers on her rag, her head falling to the side as she did. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Still creepy. What is it with Kiyuki and these Ghost-types?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hallow leapt at Torkoal once the fire was out, landing a Shadow Claw. Raihan mentally scolded himself for getting distracted, but Torkoal took the hit well. He ordered another Lava Plume, but Kiyuki’s Mimikyu leapt up so that the fire passed underneath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was quick to keep her momentum going, and Raihan heard her calling for another Swords Dance once Hallow landed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Solar Beam, Torkoal! Catch her before she can dodge!” Raihan yelled. Torkoal hummed in response, charging up his attack. He drew the energy he needed from the harsh sunlight that was still beaming down on the battle, using it to instantly charge the attack. Torkoal fired the powerful beam towards the Mimikyu, and Raihan grinned as it disappeared into the light. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Perfect. That should knock it out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But when the Solar Beam faded, the Mimikyu was nowhere to be found. Kiyuki didn’t seem to have switched it out either, but she was strangely holding both her hands out in front of her. Raihan caught her gaze, raising an eyebrow at her as he heard the confused murmuring of the crowd.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she just grinned at him, saying something he couldn’t make out. A moment later, her Mimikyu appeared, pulling herself out of the shadow cast by Kiyuki’s hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?! Bloody Ghost-types! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Somehow, she had used the sunlight he had set up to her advantage, even without using a Fire-type like her Chandelure. The crowd yelled and cheered, and the Mimikyu launched itself at Torkoal again with a Shadow Claw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan muttered a string of curses under his breath, calling for another Lava Plume from Torkoal. Hallow slashed at Torkoal, landing her hit before leaping into the air again to avoid the burst of fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that second Swords Dance, Torkoal had taken a lot more damage. And that Mimikyu already had her claws out, readying another Shadow Claw to finish him off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yawn, Torkoal!” Raihan yelled. If Torkoal couldn’t knock out Hallow, he could at least put it in a position where Turtonator could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Yawn came out just as Kiyuki’s Mimikyu landed the final Shadow Claw, and Torkoal let out a small burst of smoke as he slumped forward. Raihan recalled his knocked-out Torkoal, watching the Mimikyu return to Kiyuki’s side of the battlefield, but he couldn’t tell if the Yawn had an effect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Turtonator. We’ll keep using the sun to bring this battle back in our favour!” Raihan said. Turtonator roared as he appeared, staring down Kiyuki over his shoulder. The fire inside the dragon Pokémon flared to life, glowing brightly through the harsh sunlight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was quick to call for a Play Rough, and her Mimikyu launched itself at Turtonator. She landed her attack, and Turtonator staggered back from the powerful hit. Raihan grimaced at seeing just how much damage it had done, but counterattacked with a Fire Blast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hallow had spun around and was about to attack again, but the Fire Blast forced her to break off the attack to dodge. But when she landed, she stopped. She slumped forward, seemingly unaware of the battle going on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Yawn! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan realized, grinning now that his plan was working exactly how he wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fire Blast!” He yelled. Kiyuki was trying to wake her Mimikyu up, but to no avail. Turtonator sent his star-shaped burst of fire at the defenceless Mimikyu, intensified by the sunlight. The fire sent Hallow skidding back across the pitch towards Kiyuki, but she wasn’t knocked out yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan called for another Fire Blast, just as Kiyuki yelled “wake up!” as loud as she possibly could. Unfortunately for him, Hallow jumped awake. She stayed still for a moment, before diving to the side to avoid the Fire Blast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Blast. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The crowd roared upon seeing the Mimikyu back in the battle, but Raihan still had every intention of finishing it off. He had Turtonator ready another Fire Blast, waiting for Kiyuki to call for a Play Rough or a Shadow Claw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t. Instead, Hallow disappeared into a shadow of her own, snaking along the ground towards Turtonator. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shadow Sneak. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan swore under his breath again. “Cancel the Fire Blast, Turtonator! Shell Trap instead!” He yelled, and Turtonator roared. The building Fire Blast disappeared, but Hallow was fast enough to land her Shadow Sneak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Going for a follow-up Shadow Claw proved to be Kiyuki’s fatal mistake. Turtonator began to glow, the fiery Shell Trap covering his shell. When the Mimikyu appeared from the shadows, slashing at Turtonator, her claws connected with the fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turtonator’s attack exploded, blasting the Mimikyu back with a shriek. She landed a little ways away from Kiyuki, her rag smoldering and thoroughly knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All right! One for one, Kiyuki! I’ll still beat you, you just wait. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki pulled the defeated Mimikyu back into her Ball, clipping it back to her belt. She briefly met his gaze, holding it for a moment before sending out her next Pokémon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Raihan’s surprise, it still wasn’t her Chandelure. She had brought out her Corviknight, Cornelius, if he remembered correctly. He squawked as he took to the air, hovering well above the battlefield as the sunlight reflected off his metallic feathers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What surprised Raihan even more, was that Kiyuki immediately went on the offence, even though she was fighting a Fire-type with a Steel-type in harsh sunlight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is she doing? Oh, well, this will be easy. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan called for a Shell Trap. He knew that Corviknight of hers was a physical attacker, so he couldn’t attack without Turtonator’s Shell Trap blasting him right out of the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cornelius dove down towards Turtonator just as his shell began to glow, the fire covering it again. The Corviknight’s beak glowed as well, but he still didn’t break off his attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But just as Raihan thought Cornelius was going to attack again, he spread his wings and completely halted his dive. His beak continued to glow as he hovered in the air, just waiting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan swore again. He had played right into her hands. Turtonator was already struggling to keep the Shell Trap up, and once it broke, he would be vulnerable. And he knew that was exactly what Kiyuki was waiting for. He should’ve just used Fire Blast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan encouraged Turtonator, trying to get him to hold onto the Shell Trap. But eventually, the strain became too much for him, and the fire across his shell fizzled out. Cornelius immediately resumed his dive, his Drill Peck slamming into Turtonator. After the damage he had taken from Kiyuki’s Mimikyu, it was enough to knock him out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd cheered again, and Raihan shook his head as he recalled Turtonator. He couldn’t let Kiyuki get ahead of him, and now he had lost two Pokémon, while she had only lost one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan brought out his Goodra next, seeing that she was better equipped to deal with Cornelius than Flygon was. He caught Kiyuki’s eyes widening at seeing her, seeming to put two and two together that her Goodra was related to his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused, thinking about his next move. Normally, the next part of his strategy would be to set up the rain. But this time, he hesitated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Causing it to rain would inevitably scare Kiyuki like it had during his Gym mission. It wasn’t the first time he had wondered why she was so afraid of the water. Or what exactly had happened to her before she came to Galar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rain would definitely give him a huge advantage to win and advance in the tournament to face Leon, but he shoved those thoughts out of his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t do that to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So instead, he called immediately for Goodra to use Thunder. She glanced back at him briefly, confused since she knew their usual strategy as well. But she ultimately turned back to the battle and shot the crackling bolt of electricity at Cornelius. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the sunlight was still beaming down, which interfered with the accuracy of Thunder. But it was weaker now, a clear indication that it was about to fade. Goodra’s Thunder missed, and Cornelius soared overhead before spiralling down and connecting a Drill Peck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sunlight disappeared entirely when he soared back up, immediately preparing to dive back down and attack again. When he did, Raihan called for another Thunder. It connected this time, the electricity arcing across the Corviknight’s feathers as he squawked from the hit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yet, he didn’t break off his attack, landing his Iron Head. Goodra flinched from the impact, and Cornelius immediately followed up with a Drill Peck. Goodra couldn’t keep taking hits like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hit him with your tail, Goodra!” Raihan yelled. Goodra roared in response, pivoting on the spot and whacking Cornelius with her tail. He squawked and broke off his attack, flying away back up into the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Goodra shot another Thunder at him, but he spiralled to avoid it. He came diving back in to attack again a moment later, readying an Iron Head. Raihan had Goodra ready another Thunder, but told her to hold onto it. Cornelius abruptly changed direction a few times, and Raihan knew Kiyuki was trying to bait him into using the attack. But he knew better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, she gave up on the zigzagging and just went for the attack. Goodra released the Thunder once Cornelius got close enough, and the super effective hit slammed into the Corviknight. But he managed to land his attack before falling out of the sky, knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan thought Goodra had survived the last hit, but she wavered on her feet. Then fell over as well with a crash. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh… that was unexpected. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd roared again, and both him and Kiyuki recalled their defeated Pokémon. He caught her eyes again, and she smiled at him. Raihan returned it, and brought in Flygon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Down to my last two Pokémon already… but we’ll still win. We have to. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki sent in Nimbus, the golden Altaria unfurling her wings and humming a short string of notes. As much as Raihan would’ve liked to see Sacha, Flygon and Nimbus had proved to be evenly matched in the Gym battle. He needed to prove that Flygon was stronger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Use Sandstorm! Let the winds blow!” Raihan commanded, smiling when Flygon roared in response. He kicked up a burst of sand, directing it into a howling sandstorm like they’ve done so many times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he knew Kiyuki wouldn’t be particularly bothered by the sandstorm. Indeed, she had Nimbus go immediately for a Dragon Pulse. Raihan ordered Flygon up into the air, and the Dragon Pulse slammed into the ground instead. Flygon soared over the battlefield, twisting and spiraling through the sands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus stayed in place, her wings outstretched as she just hovered on the winds of the sandstorm. Her neck craned as she watched Flygon, but Kiyuki hadn’t given any commands yet. Raihan wondered why she was doing that, since hovering like that would likely make it difficult for Nimbus to dodge. She was clearly waiting for him to make a move. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is she up to… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Raihan got tired of waiting, and told Flygon to attack with Dragon Claw. He buzzed in response, then dove down towards the stationary Altaria. Just as he thought Flygon was going to land the hit without Kiyuki doing anything, he heard her yell something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus suddenly glanced up and hit Flygon dead on with a Hyper Voice. He buzzed his wings and shook his head, disoriented by the sound blast. Kiyuki took advantage of the opportunity and had Nimbus blast him back with a follow-up Dragon Pulse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan swore under his breath, but Flygon was fine. He had landed in front of him, buzzing again and waiting for directions. Raihan knew Flygon had a speed advantage over Nimbus, and that was a critical advantage that he was more than happy to exploit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep the storm going, Fly! Use it to hide, get in close and use Dragon Claw!” Raihan yelled over the wind. He grinned as Flygon drew up another burst of sand, before launching himself at Nimbus. The Altaria shot a Dragon Pulse at him, but Flygon simply changed course and dodged it before disappearing into the storm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan could still easily pick Flygon out of the storm, but Kiyuki seemed to be having trouble. He grinned when Nimbus missed another Dragon Pulse, providing him with his opening. He ordered Flygon to attack, watching the sand dragon dive in from above. Nimbus had shot her Dragon Pulse clear away from where Flygon actually was, and he landed his Dragon Claw on the vulnerable Altaria. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus squawked, dropping down closer to the ground. She shot another Dragon Pulse at Flygon, but he was long gone, soaring well above the battlefield again. Raihan called for him to finish off Nimbus with another Dragon Claw, and he dove in again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus wasn’t staying still this time, and was gently bobbing back and forth in the air. She had her neck craned up, watching for Flygon, and her mouth instantly began to glow pink when he emerged from the storm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch out!” Raihan yelled, but it was too late. The Moonblast slammed into Flygon just as he barreled into Nimbus again, and both dragons fell limply out of the air. Raihan couldn’t believe that they had knocked each other out yet again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Seems to be a bit of a trend with these two… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he swore under his breath again when he realized that he was now down to just Duraludon, while Kiyuki still had three Pokémon left. It wouldn’t be easy to come back and win this, but Raihan knew Duraludon could do it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do realize I’m the great Raihan, right? I’ll be the one to beat Leon, and I’ll beat you first! We’ll send everyone in the stadium flying!” He yelled to Kiyuki across the field. She met his gaze, but the confident look stayed in her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Duraludon roared as he appeared, before Raihan pulled him back into his Ball to Gigantamax him. He held the Dynamax Ball up for his phone to snap a photo, then threw it behind him. He smiled as he watched Duraludon grow to the size of a skyscraper, and turned back to Kiyuki. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Your move, Kiyuki. We’re not done yet!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki had brought out her Sandaconda like before, but Raihan was confident that G-Max Depletion would knock it out. She was just watching Duraludon, before meeting his gaze again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was going to save this as a surprise for Leon!” She yelled, “But I think I’ll use it now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Huh? Surprise for Leon? What… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki pulled her Sandaconda back into her Ball, activating her Dynamax band before flinging the giant Ball behind her. Raihan’s eyes widened as the Sandaconda grew, taking on the shape of a giant tornado instead of a larger version of a regular Sandaconda. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?! Since when could she do that?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He hasn’t seen a Gigantamax Sandaconda in years, but evidently, this was the same Sandaconda she had used in the Gym battle. But she had Dynamaxed it last time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bring the storm, Raihan!” Kiyuki yelled, grinning as she raised her hand. Her Sandaconda let out an echoing hiss, before Raihan’s sandstorm started to swirl around it, gathering strength as the crowd cheered and yelled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wha… Hey, that’s my line! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The sandstorm built around the snake, before flying out towards him and completely shrouding the battlefield. Kiyuki and her Sandaconda completely disappeared into the storm as it washed over the pitch, so intense that Raihan had to hold onto his headband out of fear that it would blow away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bloody hell, he could barely see Duraludon behind him! Every way he looked was just sand, and at this point, he wasn’t completely sure where Kiyuki even was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the G-Max Sandblast that appeared gave him his answer, and Duraludon roared as the attack slammed into him. It left the sands swirling around him, and they kept battering him even after Kiyuki’s attack had dissipated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Dura! We can still win this! It’s time for our ultimate attack—G-Max Depletion!” Raihan yelled in the general direction of Duraludon, hoping that he could hear him over the howling of the sandstorm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned when Duraludon’s attack appeared, and went careening through the sandstorm before finding its target. Raihan couldn’t see the Sandaconda, but the resounding hiss indicated that she got hit. He waited for the burst of fire that would signal the defeat of Kiyuki’s Sandaconda, but a second G-Max Sandblast appeared instead. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second attack was too much for Duraludon to take, and he shrunk down in the burst of fire instead. The noise of the crowd cut through the storm, cheering, but not for him.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>I… I lost?! How?! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan couldn’t believe it. He recalled Duraludon, thanking him for his hard work, and glanced up just as the sandstorm dissipated entirely. His phone whirred around back in front of him, and Raihan struck a sort of ‘oh well’ pose as it snapped a photo. Losing in the Finals was a new feeling to him, and it was worth taking a photo to remember that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki’s Sandaconda had shrunk back to her normal size, and she pulled her back into her Ball as well. She kept brushing the sand off her Gym uniform as she walked towards the centre of the pitch again, keeping her eyes trained down initially. The commentator came on again, officially declaring Kiyuki as the winner as the crowd cheered again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, losing in the Finals is pretty rough, I must say. But my lovely Pokémon and I have become much stronger than we were before… And you still blew right past us! With a Gigantamax out of nowhere too! How did you do that?” Raihan said, smiling at her once her gaze flicked up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She returned his smile. “I found a lot of useful things while I had to wait to challenge your Gym.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Max Soup. Of course, why didn’t I think of that? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was quite the storm you kicked up there, regardless. I’ve clearly still got a lot to learn, but I’m not done yet. We’ll get you next time for sure, but for now, you’ve got your whole future ahead of you!” Raihan grinned, and Kiyuki said nothing. Instead, she just flicked her gaze back to the ground as she unsuccessfully tried to hide her reddening face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan didn’t entirely know why she always got so flustered, but it made her quite fun to tease. “So keep up your momentum! Prove that Leon’s not unbeatable!” He said, “and thanks for the great battle again!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Likewise,” Kiyuki smiled, “I’ll… Um… see you later?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you later, Challenger,” Raihan smirked, giving her a wave as he turned to go back to the locker room. He was still trying to process that battle, how he could have lost. And now Kiyuki was facing Leon instead of him. It was a strange feeling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't like it. But he had to hand it to Kiyuki. She really was quite something. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Plot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raihan was still trying to process the battle against Kiyuki when he reached the section of the stands that was reserved for the Gym Leaders. He sat down between Nessa and Piers, dropping his bag at his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was the first time since becoming the Hammerlocke Gym Leader where he would be watching the battle against Leon, instead of battling him himself. It was extremely strange, and Raihan decided that he didn’t like the feeling at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t say I was expecting that to happen. Not that I could see anything at the end with that bloody sandstorm of yours,” Nessa said, breaking Raihan out of his thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it was just as much her sandstorm. Don’t blame me!” Raihan retorted, giving Nessa a look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You started it. That makes it your sandstorm,” Nessa added, much to Raihan’s annoyance. “Although, now that I think of it… You didn’t go for the Rain Dance this time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew I could make do without it,” Raihan muttered, flicking his gaze away from her to the field.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Liar.” Nessa glared at him out of the corner of her eye. “It’s got everything to do with Kiyuki, doesn’t it? You didn’t want to scare her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha? No!” Raihan exclaimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know she has a fear of water, Raihan. I’m just wondering how you knew that,” Nessa said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How does she always see through everything I try to lie about? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rain in my Gym mission,” Raihan said simply, leaving it at that. “Using the rain to gain an advantage would just be a jerk move on my part. I wouldn’t have deserved to face Leon if I did that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh, that’s awfully noble of you,” Nessa commented, and Raihan shot her a look. “Still, Kiyuki’s really something special to make it this far,” she added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she is,” Raihan replied, but the rising roar of the crowd drowned out Nessa’s response. Leon had appeared on the pitch, waving at the crowd with both hands as he walked out to the centre of the pitch. Raihan laughed as he struck his signature Charizard pose. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Always the entertainer… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think she has a chance?” Nessa asked again once the noise of the crowd died down enough for him to hear her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be a close one, but I think Leon’s gonna need to throw everything he’s got at her to keep his title,” Raihan replied. “You think so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I think Leon’s in serious trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd roared again after she had spoken, and Raihan glanced back at the pitch to see Kiyuki appearing from the other side of the Stadium. She actually raised a hand to wave at the crowd this time, something he had never seen her do before, and she kept walking pointedly towards Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon opened his eyes and dropped his hands to his sides once Kiyuki stopped in front of him. He seemed to be talking to her, and she said something in response before they both turned and walked out to the battling lines. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is it… Galar could have a new Champion in a few minutes. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan thought numbly as the crowd roared again. But just as Kiyuki and Leon were reaching for their first Pokéballs, the giant screen at the back of the Stadium suddenly turned to static. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The roar of the crowd gave way to an uneasy murmur, before the static disappeared, replaced with a video feed of Chairman Rose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello there, Leon and Kiyuki! Just letting you know… I think it’s time I brought about the Darkest Day. For the sake of Galar’s future, of course!” He said, and Raihan felt his blood run cold. After helping Sonia with her research, he knew exactly what the chairman was talking about. And it wasn’t good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The video cut away from the chairman and to the background, which Raihan recognized as the power plant below Hammerlocke. “But I’m in a bit of a pickle. The energy released by the Darkest Day is too much for us to contain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground suddenly shook, before a blinding beam of red light erupted from the ground between Kiyuki and Leon. She was forced to jump back, stumbling a little before continuing to watch the screen with wide eyes. Raihan heard Nessa swear beside him, but he kept watching.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screen showed images of a similar situation in the other Stadiums, showing Motostoke, Turffield, Hulbury, and Ballonlea, before it cut to a familiar Gym. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hammerlocke. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no, you don’t. You don’t mess with my Gym on my watch! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry it’s come to this. But it’s you who forced my hand, Leon. You refused to listen!” The chairman yelled, before the video feed cut out. Leon bolted for the locker room, leaving Kiyuki on the pitch staring at the beam of light. She broke away a moment later, making a mad dash after Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… What did he do? He didn’t release that Legendary Pokémon Lee was talking about... Did he? </span>
  </em>
  <span>But the beam of light bursting out of the pitch showed no signs of fading anytime soon. Raihan jumped out of his seat as the crowd started to scream and run for the exits, ignoring Nessa yelling after him. He knew the hallway this way would take him out of the side entrance to the Stadium, and hopefully he could find Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sky was quickly turning into a chaotic, churning mess of red clouds when he got outside. He ran around to the front, where the crowds were pouring out, before seeing a familiar head of purple hair trying to hail a taxi off to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lee!” He yelled, sprinting towards him just as the huge Corviknight carrying the taxi landed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon glanced up, waving Raihan over to the taxi. He scrambled in after Leon, and the door to the cab closed behind him. The rustling of metallic feathers and the corresponding lurch signaled that they were taking off, and Leon told the cabbie to head to Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is madness! What’s going on? The chairman didn’t release that Legendary, did he?” Raihan asked, and Leon grimaced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He definitely did. I can’t believe he would! I said I would help him, why couldn’t he wait one more day!” He growled, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t get it,” Raihan agreed, “why would the chairman think the energy pouring from the Darkest Day would save Galar?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t got a clue, mate. I’ve gotta stop it for sure,” Leon said, before falling silent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan glanced out the window now that they were up in the air, and froze when he saw just how bad of a situation they were in. The beams of light broke out of every Stadium in the region, and dark, swirling storms were interspersed through the glowing clouds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That could only mean Dynamax Pokémon. And lots of them. But his blood really froze when he saw Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was clearly the epicentre of all this madness. The clouds above it were blood-red, churning and building above the city before spreading out across Galar. The beam of light emanating from the Stadium was noticeably stronger than the others as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A flash of movement out of the side of the taxi cab caught his eye. It was another Corviknight, but with two people on its back. It was hard to make out who they were in the red glow cast by the clouds, but he soon realized that he knew that particular Corviknight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Cornelius. No other Corviknight was that fast and agile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hop and Kiyuki. Where are they going? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t seem to be heading straight for Hammerlocke, more off to the side. The Wild Area maybe? But Raihan didn’t think too much of it. He was just relieved they weren’t throwing themselves into danger and were actually letting the adults handle this for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The winds got stronger as they neared Hammerlocke, until the taxi gave a gut-wrenching lurch. The Corviknight squawked, and the cabbie yelled that he couldn’t take them any closer and had to put them down outside the city on Route 7. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon was already out of the cab and pushing his way into the city just seconds after the cab landed. People were streaming out of the city, screaming as they made a run for Route 7. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan wove through the crowd, just a few steps behind Leon. They had just made it across the drawbridge when a metallic screech ripped through the air, and a wild Perrserker came into view. It had Dynamaxed, and was stomping through the main street, leaving craters in the road wherever it stepped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan surged forward through the crowd the moment he saw it raise a paw to swing at a group of citizens that were backed up against a wall. He brought Flygon out and sent him immediately flying at the Perrserker, hitting it with a Dragon Claw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It did almost nothing for damage, but was enough of a distraction. Charizard appeared next to him in another burst of white light, flapping his wings and roaring as he sent a follow-up Flamethrower at the Perrserker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go!” Raihan yelled at the group of citizens, who were still standing frozen in fear. They snapped out of it and ran for it, joining the larger crowd streaming out to Route 7. The Perrserker exploded with a screech as Charizard finished it off with a second Flamethrower, shrinking down in a burst of fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan chased after Leon towards the centre of the city, telling everyone he came across to evacuate. He was gasping for breath when they finally made it, gaping up at the storm above. The roiling clouds were almost black here, blotting out the sunlight and casting an ominous red glow on everything around them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve gotta evacuate the city, especially if Pokémon keep Dynamaxing like that Perrserker!” Raihan yelled over the wind, glancing at Leon. He was staring up at the storm above with wide eyes, his hands balled into fists. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” he called back. “I’ll go up to stop this madness. Don’t let anyone up, you hear me? Especially not Hop and Kiyuki.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think they’ll come?” Raihan yelled, and Leon glanced back at him over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Certainly. But I don’t want them putting themselves in danger. They’re a bit too keen to do that, especially Kiyuki,” Leon yelled back. “So don’t let them up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what makes you think they’ll listen to me?!” Raihan replied, but Leon shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just try!” He yelled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All right, fine,” Raihan answered. “I’ll come up and help once the city’s empty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon nodded and took off running towards the Stadium, his cape snapping in the wind behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lee!” Raihan yelled after him, and he stopped and turned. “Be careful, all right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon nodded, before disappearing into the Stadium. An ear splitting roar came from the roof, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind that nearly blew Raihan’s headband off. He turned and ran back towards the residential district. Might as well start somewhere. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan had no idea how long he’d been fighting, but the storm refused to let up. He gritted his teeth against the stinging pain in his right leg from where he had gotten grazed with the shrapnel from a Max Steelspike from another Dynamax Perrserker. It hurt with every step, but wasn’t too bad otherwise, just bleeding a little bit still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But there were still people to evacuate. He could get it looked at later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flygon and Turtonator were both down after fighting more of the wild Dynamax Pokémon that kept appearing around every corner. And of course he didn’t think to bring any Revives with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least the residential district was evacuated now, but there were still people running around aimlessly in the streets surrounding the Stadium. Raihan waved another group of citizens out of the city towards the Wild Area, even though that wasn’t particularly safe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s still safer than Hammerlocke right now, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he assured himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He caught a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye, running </span>
  <em>
    <span>towards </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Stadium instead of away from it. He quickly stuck a hand out to grab whoever it was. They fought against him, yelling and trying to yank their arm out of his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me go!” They yelled before Raihan finally got a good look at who it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki! No way! You need to get out of here right now!” Raihan yelled over the wind, and Kiyuki stopped struggling, twisting her neck to glare at him. Her eyes almost glowed in the chaotic light of the storm, but he still didn’t let go of her arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to sit by and watch something like this happen again! Leon needs our help!” She yelled, trying to pull her arm out again. “Let me go!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again? What’s that supposed to mean?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! I can’t let you two through! It's too dangerous!” Raihan yelled, turning his gaze to Hop a short ways away. He had some sort of rusty metal in his hands, and was anxiously watching the storm above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not kids, Raihan! We can help!” Kiyuki protested, shifting her free hand. Raihan realized that she too was holding a piece of rusty metal, longer and thinner compared to the sheet of metal that Hop had. A sword and a shield. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But rusted to almost nothing… not too useful in terms of combat. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not adults! Please, get out of here and let us handle it!” Raihan yelled back, just as another roar came from the roof of the Stadium. The storm glowed a sinister red again, sparking with power as it intensified again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another roar cut into Raihan’s ears, this time from the street. The clouds a short ways away started to churn, and the wind picked up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A Kommo-o appeared out of nowhere, Dynamaxing as it stomped through the street. Its scales clanged with every step before it narrowed its eyes at him, Kiyuki, and Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan fumbled for Goodra’s Ultra Ball with his free hand, sending her out. Another flash of light, and a second Goodra appeared beside her. Goodra briefly gave Sacha a curious look, but turned when the Kommo-o roared again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dragon Pulse!” Raihan yelled in unison with Kiyuki, and Sacha and Goodra each fired off their attacks at the Kommo-o. The beams of energy combined into the shape of a dragon, crackling and glowing bright through the ominous glow of the sky. Raihan watched the dragon slam into the Kommo-o, forcing it to stagger back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It roared as it became engulfed in a burst of fire, defeated in a single hit. It shrunk down, surprising Raihan with just how effective that was. But he was pulled out of his thoughts when Kiyuki started to try and pull her arm out of his hand again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got to let us go. We can’t back down and let this happen!” Kiyuki said, staring up at him. What really struck Raihan was that she didn’t look afraid in the slightest. Her eyes were resolute, determined, but clear and sharp, reflecting the chaotic light above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she was one of the strongest Trainers in Galar. Hell, she had beaten him twice, and she very well could’ve now been the new Champion had this not happened. Same with Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another roar came from the roof of the Stadium. Now Raihan was starting to get a little concerned. What was going on up there? Hadn’t Leon defeated it yet? What if he did need help?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki! We’ve gotta hurry!” Hop yelled over the wind, staring up at the Stadium with a panicked look on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan sighed, and decided to not listen to Leon this time. He released Kiyuki’s arm. “Go. But be careful, and get the hell outta there if things start going bad. I’ll come up and help once I get everyone out of the city, all right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got it. We’ll be fine, I promise,” Kiyuki said, holding his gaze for a few more seconds. Then she was gone, pulling Sacha back into her Ball and sprinting towards the Stadium with Hop right beside her. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <span>I sure hope you can keep that promise, Kiyuki… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan thought as the pair disappeared, before a resounding crash pulled his gaze away. Another Dynamax storm swirled to life above further down the road towards the vault, and Raihan didn’t hesitate to run right towards it. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yeah, I'm going with a darker spin on the Eternatus situation. Just watch for a bit of blood and injuries in the next few chapters, but there won't be anything too graphic.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The wind died down instantly when Kiyuki dashed into the Hammerlocke Stadium. The rusted sword hung heavy in her hand, undeniably ancient beyond belief. Kiyuki wasn’t sure how it would be useful, considering the half of it that remained was extremely corroded. But if they were interpreting the legends correctly, they helped the sword and shield Pokémon save Galar the last time this happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… Zacian and Zamazenta. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The encounter with Sonia and the two illusion wolves in the Slumbering Weald still baffled Kiyuki, but they had led her and Hop to the sword and shield. Still there after that ancient battle, under the forgotten, crumbling archway deep within the forest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Stadium lobby was completely empty, save for two people near an elevator. One was a League staff, and the other person in a white coat was pacing back and forth. Kiyuki felt her blood boil when they glanced up, realizing that it was Oleana. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“G-Gym Challenger! You must help me! I-I mean, please, help me! There’s so many Dynamax Pokémon running amok out there, the underground power plant could collapse! Mr. Rose is down there right now!” Oleana pleaded, her eyes wide and hands shaking as she ran up to Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why should I? Just yesterday you were doing everything in your power to get rid of us!” Kiyuki snarled, crossing her arms in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-That was yesterday! The Darkest Day has released so much energy… So much that even the Champion is having difficulties subduing it! Please… I know this is selfish of me, but I must beg your assistance! You need to head into the underground power plant and stop Mr. Rose!” Oleana protested, but Kiyuki just kept glaring at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re in luck then, because we were doing that anyways. So if you could just step aside and get out of our way, that would be great,” Kiyuki growled. Oleana stepped back, motioning for the League staff with her to unlock the elevator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’ll have you know, that I’m not doing this for you, or for the chairman. I’ve already had my life torn apart by people thinking they can control Legendary Pokémon. I’m not about to sit here and watch it happen again. Got it?” Kiyuki added, pointing an accusatory finger at Oleana. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oleana just flicked her gaze to the floor, nodding as she stepped back. “The Pokémon that Mr. Rose has awakened is called Eternatus… Apparently, the energy emitted from its body is what causes Dynamaxing. All the Pokémon in the Galar region will Dynamax and go berserk if you can’t stop it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded, before brushing past Oleana and stepping into the elevator that the staff had unlocked. Hop stood beside her as the doors slid shut, and the elevator shuddered before starting to move down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki… What did you mean by that?” Hop asked, his voice strained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mean by what?” She replied, glancing over at Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By having your life torn apart already by Legendary Pokémon? What… What happened to you before you came to Galar?” Hop said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki squeezed her eyes shut. This whole situation was emotionally draining for her, and was even worse after an already long day of battles. Her nerves were already on edge out of fear. Frankly, she was just plain exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this was different than it was in Hoenn nine months ago. She could actually do something about this. So she had to keep it together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not now, Hop,” she said. “We’ve got to stay focused.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I—” Hop started, but Kiyuki cut him off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not now!” She snapped, shoving the memories and the pain down again. “We’re here anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elevator doors slid open, revealing a dark hallway lit only with red floor lighting. A humming noise permeated through the still air, and light emanated from an opening off to the side. Kiyuki strode forward, across the hexagonal Macros Cosmos symbol printed on the floor. A bit of light caught her eye, coming from her Dynamax Band. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The humming got louder as she rounded the corner, stepping into the power plant itself. Brightly lit pillars dotted the massive, open room, with electricity crackling at the bottom. Her footsteps echoed against the dark red walkway, leading to a raised platform with wires and cables scattered about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But at the far edge stood a massive, spherical object of some sort. Or it likely would’ve been spherical had it not been smashed to pieces. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is that? It looks like a capsule… or an egg. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Standing in front of that… thing, was Chairman Rose. He had his back to her initially, but turned when he heard her approach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what do you plan on doing, Gym Challenger?” He asked, sounding remarkably calm. Like he hadn’t just unleashed a catastrophe of legend for no apparent reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stopping you, first of all. And then helping the Champion end the Darkest Day,” Kiyuki growled, clenching her hands into fists. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, pardon? What are you talking about? There’s nothing to stop now. We’ve already brought about the Darkest Day… or should I say, the ultimate Pokémon—Eternatus! Must I really explain myself? I’m surprised that such a young, talented mind such as yours can’t see that this is the right thing to do!” The chairman replied. He was smiling now, which made Kiyuki’s blood boil.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s all the same in the end. People like you just want to use the power of Legendary Pokémon for their own gain. Whether it be money, power, or a delusional belief that you’re actually helping people, you’re all the same!” Kiyuki snarled, but the chairman still looked unfazed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. It must seem that I am doing something terrible from your perspective. I must provide the Galar region with limitless energy to ensure everlasting prosperity. It is my purpose, my duty, my destiny! I don’t expect you to understand my reasoning, seeing that you’re not even from Galar! Why fight a futile battle to defend a region that isn’t even your home?” The chairman said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t expect you to understand,” she spat, echoing his words back at him. “But I’m not powerless this time. And as long as I can do something, I will! But tell me something, chairman. Why have you been collecting Wishing Stars?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chairman closed his eyes for a moment, drawing in a breath before opening them again. “We’ve been feeding them to Eternatus,” he said. “Surely you remember the red light that caused a ruckus around Hammerlocke. That was all part of our experiments to awaken Eternatus! You must understand. I can’t let you interfere with my plan to protect the future of Galar!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how are you going to stop me?” Kiyuki replied flatly. She got her answer when the chairman pulled out an Ultra Ball. He stared down it sadly, before a look of determination flashed across his face and he tossed it out in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A battle? Seriously? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki stared at the Escavalier that appeared in front of him, before reaching for Flicker’s Ball and sending him out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flamethrower,” Kiyuki commanded, and Escavalier went down instantly with a single burst of fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re pretty tough… Yes, entirely too tough. Don’t you think that’s unfair?” Chairman Rose said as he recalled the Escavalier, sending out a Ferrothorn in its place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t hesitate to stop you,” Kiyuki replied. “Don’t do this, you can’t win.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another Flamethrower from Flicker, and Ferrothorn also went down in a single hit before it could even react. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from interfering with my plans!” The chairman yelled. He pulled his defeated Ferrothorn back and brought out a Klinklang next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Kiyuki knew that she had him outmatched substantially. His entire team was weak to Flicker’s powerful Fire-type attacks, and much too slow to even threaten the Chandelure. Klinklang and the Perrserker he sent out afterwards each went down with a single Flamethrower, leaving him with just his final Pokemon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a Copperajah, the same one that Bede had used to knock down the Stow-on-Side mural. “Oh, oh? Down to my last Pokémon… Hmm, this isn’t looking too good…” he said, touching his chin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can still stop this madness!” Kiyuki shouted again. She had to least try to get him to reconsider. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Silence! I’ll show a move that’ll hit so hard, you’ll be speechless!” He yelled, before pulling his Copperajah back into its Ball and Gigantamaxing it. It grew behind him, smashing a piece of the broken egg when it reached its full size. It had stood up on two legs, using its trunk to balance itself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Flicker,” Kiyuki said, pulling him back into its Ball and Dynamaxing him in response. “Let’s finish this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She flung the Dynamax Ball behind her, watching Flicker grow to match the chairman’s Copperajah. She called for a Max Flare once he reached his maximum size, and he sent another burst of fire careening at the elephant Pokemon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It roared as the fire slammed into it, but survived the hit all the same. The Copperajah slammed its trunk on the ground at the chairman’s command, sending a Max Quake at Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki held her breath when the attack connected, but Flicker shook it off. He attacked again with Max Flare and finally finished off the Copperajah, which shrunk down again in a burst of fire of its own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker shrunk down as well, but Kiyuki paused when she went to return him to his Ball. Chairman Rose was clapping, as if this was a game to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Most impressive, Kiyuki! I’d forgotten how great Pokémon battles are! It’s been so long since I battled… That sure was satisfying,” he said, smiling at her while she gaped. “I wouldn’t expect any less from a challenger endorsed by the strongest Champion ever to grace our beloved Galar region!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki had no idea what was going on, why he had suddenly gone from swearing that she wouldn’t interfere with his plans to congratulating her on beating him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really do wish I could have seen the Championship Match between you two,” the chairman said again, folding his arms behind his back and turning back towards the broken egg. “And I’m terribly sorry to have ruined the whole Gym Challenge and everything! It’s too bad, but it can’t be helped…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could’ve been helped! Leon said he would’ve helped you tomorrow, why couldn’t you wait one more day?” Kiyuki asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t understand! We had to solve the energy crisis as soon as possible, and we awakened Eternatus to do that. But we can’t control it. I knew the Champion would come to aid me, even at the cost of abandoning the match. Indeed, just like a knight in shining armour coming to rescue a princess from a dragon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughed, touching his chin again. “Oh dear, I do tend to ramble on, I know. I love to make speeches. But I think I can stop talking now. Although the Champion should have captured Eternatus by now… I wonder what’s happening up there…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki felt her blood run cold at how calmly he was saying that Leon could’ve flat out died. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki! We’ve gotta go!” Hop called from where he was standing on the walkway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s right you know. Clearly I am unable to stop you,” the chairman commented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, you can’t stop us. I’ve tried to reason with you. So stay out of my way,” Kiyuki growled, before spinning on her heel and stalking back towards the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop followed her, and they stepped into the second elevator at the end of the hallway that they had originally gone into. They rode in silence for a moment, before Hop spoke up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki... Mate… Thank you for helping me…” He said, shuffling his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always, Hop. I’ll always help, and I know you’d do the same for me,” Kiyuki replied. She let herself calm down, unclenching her fists. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course! You’re just so strong… And I can’t help but feel like I’m not doing much… What if Lee didn’t manage to catch Eternatus? What if he is…” He trailed off, his breath stuttering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leon’s fine, Hop. I know he is. And you’re stronger than you believe. You’re not helpless,” Kiyuki smiled at him. She didn’t want to see him doubting himself again, but being helpless while the world around crumbles… That was something she knew all too well. And she didn’t want Hop experiencing that same feeling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop returned her smile just as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the tortured, glowing black clouds above the roof of the Hammerlocke Stadium. She sprinted up the steps, but skidded to a halt at the top. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hunch was right, and Leon was fine, standing with a Pokéball in his hand as he faced down Eternatus. Charizard was between them, his head bowed in exhaustion, but mostly fine otherwise. And Eternatus… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was enormous. It easily towered above them all, rivaling the size of some Dynamax Pokémon. The massive skeletal dragon reared its head up, roaring and sending pulses of energy from its brightly glowing core into the storm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This thing… is the source of Dynamax energy? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki could see Hop trembling out of the corner of her eye, but she just stared at Eternatus. It was downright terrifying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon glanced back at them over his shoulder. “Stay back, you two! I thought I told Raihan to not let you up! But there’s nothing to worry about. My team’s had a champion time wearing Eternatus down, and all I’ve got to do is catch it and we can finally get this madness under control! So watch this! It’s going to be a real champion catch!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he threw the Pokéball he was holding at Eternatus, drawing it inside. The Ball dropped out of the air, landing on the brick roof and staying completely stationary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It shook once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But a horrible cracking noise came from it a second later, and Charizard lunged at Kiyuki and Hop. He turned his back towards Eternatus and spread his wings just as the Ball exploded, sending out a shockwave of energy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charizard shielded them from the damage, but was knocked out in the process, slumping over. The top half of the destroyed Pokéball bounced towards them. It rolled in a small circle, then stopped. Eternatus roared, and Kiyuki looked around for Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t as lucky as they were. Kiyuki’s breath stuttered when she found him. He had gotten blasted back into a pile of rubble and was lying motionless on the broken bricks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lee!” Hop screamed, sprinting towards his brother. Kiyuki sucked in a breath when Eternatus roared again, its gaze trained on Hop and Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… I won’t allow it to hurt them! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki did the only thing she could think of. She threw a brick at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” She yelled, scooping up the brick at her feet and throwing it as hard as she could. It fell short, clunking against the roof of the Stadium, but it was enough to get its attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus turned its head and roared at her, but Kiyuki stared it down as she clicked Cornelius’ Ball open. He landed in front of her, squawking at it while she climbed onto his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come and get me!” She yelled, and Cornelius squawked as well, taunting the Legendary dragon as he took off. Eternatus snarled at them, rearing up and starting to glow again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I won’t back down. Never. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Fear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raihan gasped for breath as the Dynamaxed Noivern shrunk back down with a resounding cry. He glanced around, looking for any other people that he may have missed in the evacuation, but the street was empty save for him, Duraludon, and the dazed Noivern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Duraludon gave a metallic chirp that Raihan barely heard over the wind. He swallowed, wincing at his dry throat, but smiled at the metal dragon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, Dura. Just tired,” he rasped, coughing to clear his throat. The cut on his leg still ached, and Raihan had found a scrap of cloth that he had tied around it as a makeshift bandage. It would be fine for now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’ve got everyone out of the city. Ready to go help those guys up there?” He asked, and Duraludon roared in response. Raihan pulled him back into his Ball and took off running back towards the Stadium, jumping over a crack in the road that was gouged by the Noivern’s attacks. He winced when the landing sent another shock of pain through his leg, but ignored it and kept running. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The same ominous black clouds hung over the Stadium when he got there, and he ran straight inside. It was eerily calm out of the wind, and completely empty save for a League staff and an anxiously pacing Oleana. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-Ah! Gym Leader!” She stammered when she saw him. “A-Are you going to help Mr. Rose as well?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to help the Champion,” he corrected. The chairman caused this mess, and she was worried about him? Not the Champion or the two 16-year-old Gym Challengers that were fighting for their lives up there?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-Ah… Of course… I’m concerned that the underground power plant will collapse…” She said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it will,” Raihan replied. “I’ve taken care of most of the Dynamax Pokémon, and the city’s been evacuated. Can you let me down there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, of course,” she said, motioning to the League Staff by the lift. She swiped her card, and the doors slid open for him. “Please… Please help them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan nodded at Oleana as the doors closed, sighing and rubbing the back of his back as the lift carried him down. He was just so tired from all this madness, and was already drained to begin with after his battles earlier than day. One thing for certain, he was going to go and have a nice long nap once this was over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The power plant was clearly still on and active when he reached the bottom hallway. He hadn’t been down here since first becoming the Gym Leader, but it was exactly as he remembered it. Electricity still hummed through the air, and the light from the main area poured into the dimly lit hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan poked his head around the corner, seeing Chairman Rose kneeling on the ground in the centre of the raised platform. But last time he had been down here, there had been a massive, glowing sphere at the edge of the platform. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That time, he had tried to ask questions about what that sphere exactly was. But they went ignored and unanswered, and he was told to mind his own business. Over the years, Raihan had forgotten about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But now that sphere lay shattered and broken. The remaining material still reflected surrounding light, adding a red tinge, but it was no longer glowing itself. As if something was inside, something that was now missing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… The Legendary… Was it in there?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s footsteps echoed around the room, causing the chairman to glance up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Gym Leader! Excellent, I presume Hammerlocke has been evacuated?” He said, smiling. How calm and unfazed he was greatly unnerved Raihan. Like he didn’t just unleash the legendary Darkest Day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has, yes. At least the innocent people are out of the way of your mess. Why are you doing this?” Raihan asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does truly nobody understand my reasoning? This energy crisis must be solved as soon as possible!” The chairman replied, rising to his feet. He had an Ultra Ball clutched in his hand, but it was dim. The Pokémon inside was defeated. He must’ve just battled someone, likely Kiyuki or Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The one in a thousand years? There had to be a million better ways to do that!” Raihan protested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Releasing Eternatus was the best way! I knew the Champion would abandon his match to come and help me, because he knew I couldn’t control it. Although… I must admit that I am surprised he hasn’t yet caught it…” Rose said, touching his chin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going up to help them,” Raihan said, spinning on his heel and starting to walk back towards the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I cannot allow that.” Raihan stopped when the chairman spoke up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why’s that?” Raihan asked, glancing over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re one of the strongest Trainers in all of Galar, second only to the Champion himself. If Leon proves to be unable to control Eternatus...  I need you to be my new Champion,” the chairman said. Raihan gaped at him, unable to believe what he was hearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know that’s what you’ve always wanted, Gym Leader. How frustrated you must be… to come so close to achieving that title year after year, only for a Gym Challenger, who isn’t even Galarian-born, to snatch that chance from right under your nose! Let them perish trying to futilely stop the Darkest Day… Become the new Champion!” The chairman exclaimed, stepping closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan stayed silent, seething at the chairman’s words. He stared at him in disbelief, but whatever was keeping his tongue tied disappeared when the chairman smiled at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How could he… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No… that’s not a price I will ever be willing to pay. Kiyuki earned the right to face Leon, regardless of where she’s from. And she’s doing more to save Galar than you, chairman. You claim to be saving the region you love, but you’re the one trying to destroy it!” Raihan snarled. The chairman stopped in his tracks, his smile vanishing and becoming replaced with sadness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will become the Champion, but not yours. And never at the price of Leon, Kiyuki, and Hop. I’ll beat him fair and square to earn that title myself. Goodbye, chairman,” Raihan said, spinning back around and leaving the chairman on the platform. He made his way towards the lift at the far side, the one that would take him up to the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was still seething when the doors slid shut, and the lift started to move. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How could the chairman possibly think that those three are worth sacrificing? And to say that so calmly… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the lift came to a sudden, lurching stop. Raihan stumbled, another jolt of pain shooting through his leg. Then the lights went out, leaving him in complete darkness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No… No, no, no!” Raihan muttered, fumbling for his phone in the dark and turning it on to get a bit of light. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A power outage? Why now?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Static came from the corner of the lift, and Raihan tilted his phone to illuminate a security camera in the corner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m terribly sorry it had to come to this, Gym Leader,” the chairman’s voice said, replacing the static. “But you must understand that I cannot allow you to go up. I’ll have to keep you here until my plan goes through.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Let me out! I have to go help them!” Raihan yelled, trying to jab at the buttons controlling the lift. They stayed dim, refusing to respond to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He must’ve cut the power… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cannot. Please be patient, Gym Leader. I will let you out once you can no longer interfere.” The chairman’s voice cut out, replaced with static again. It stayed for a few more seconds before disappearing as well and leaving Raihan in silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… this can’t possibly be happening… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan tried to jab at the buttons again, pressing every single one in hopes that even just one would work. But nothing happened. He tilted his phone screen around the lift. There had to be a hatch or something… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nothing showed up in the dim light. But maybe Leon could override it from the roof. Raihan flipped through his phone, going to the video chat app and calling Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It rang once, twice, three times, and four times before flashing the message ‘caller unavailable’ across the screen. Raihan’s blood turned to ice. Where was he?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no! Lee! Pick up!” Raihan said, dialing again. It rang three times before someone answered this time. But the screen focused on a panicked-looking Hop instead of Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hop! Where’s your brother?!” Raihan exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s knocked out! Charizard is too! Raihan… Eternatus is so powerful…  Are you still coming to help?!” Hop yelled over a gust of wind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon wasn’t dead. That was good news. Raihan sighed. “I was. But the chairman disabled the lift. I’m trapped in here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trapped?! Can you get it working?” Hop asked, his eyes wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He cut the power off. I don’t think I can from in here… Wait… Where’s Kiyuki?” Raihan said. The scene behind Hop was strangely devoid of both her and the Legendary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But before he could answer, yelling came from off screen. Hop looked up. “Wha? Whoa!” He yelled, ducking out of the range of the camera. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The camera shook when a Corviknight shot overhead, flying as fast as he possibly could towards the edge of the roof. Cornelius and Kiyuki. He pulled up right at the edge, and Raihan’s breath stuttered upon seeing just what was chasing them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A gigantic, skeletal dragon glowing a sinister red from the inside. It was flying after the Corviknight, but went crashing into a crumbling brick wall when Cornelius had pulled up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Arceus… it's huge! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eternatus let out another ear splitting roar and flicked its tail, demolishing what remained of the wall it had crashed into. It sent a Flamethrower towards Cornelius, but he nimbly wove around the cloud of fire before flying off the edge of the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dragon reared up before swivelling his head straight towards Hop and Leon. But Hop and Dubwool stood over the knocked out Champion, refusing to budge even when the Eternatus’ core began to glow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hop! Get out of there!” Raihan yelled, but Hop didn’t move, still determined to protect his brother. Raihan could see his hands shaking as he commanded Dubwool to use Double Edge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Dragon brain!” Kiyuki yelled, just as a Dragon Pulse slammed into Eternatus from the side. The phone automatically swivelled to Cornelius hovering in the air, a dark shadow silhouetted against the storm. Nimbus was flying next to Kiyuki, the source of the Dragon Pulse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dragon brain? What kind of an insult is that? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as terrible of an insult as that was, it was enough to get Eternatus’ attention. It gave up trying to attack Hop and Leon and directed the beam of energy from its core at her instead. Kiyuki just pulled Nimbus back into her Ball and went flying off again, soaring up towards the clouds. She kept Nimbus’ Ball in her hand, stretched out to the side while she held onto Cornelius with her other hand. Eternatus snarled and took off after her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er… Yeah. There’s Kiyuki. She’s fine. Brilliant actually,” Hop said, the camera turning back to face him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see that. What exactly happened?” Raihan asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Lee tried to capture Eternatus, but it broke out and sent out this sort-of shockwave. Charizard took the hit for me and Kiyuki… But Lee got hit dead on and he won’t wake up! I don’t… I don’t know what to do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s not bleeding, is he?” Raihan asked, and Hop shook his head. “Then he should be alright, Hop. You’ll just need to wait for him to wake up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I know,” he stammered. “I’m just worried. I— Oh no...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The camera turned again. Eternatus was chasing Kiyuki back down towards the roof, firing attack after attack at her. She directed Cornelius around every one, but Eternatus was still faster than she was. And it was gaining on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The glowing in the Legendary Dragon’s core reached its peak, and the massive beam of searing energy appeared again. Kiyuki ducked underneath it, but not fast enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beam clipped her outstretched arm. She yelled, recoiling her arm and dropping Nimbus’ Ultra Ball in the process. It fell before landing on the roof, bouncing once, rolling, then coming to a complete stop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki veered off to the side, forced to leave the Ball on the ground to dodge another Flamethrower. Eternatus still didn’t let up, snarling and snapping at her while she tried to retreat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… Kiyuki, no! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raihan hated being trapped here, unable to do anything. It terrified him. All Eternatus had to do was land a hit on her and she was dead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A flash of light distracted Raihan. Hop had brought his own Corviknight out, then directed it to attack Eternatus and get its attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait! Hop, no!” Raihan yelled when he sprinted to the centre of the roof, scooping up Nimbus’ Ball from the bricks. He held it up, waving at Kiyuki with his other hand just as his Corviknight swooped at Eternatus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dragon just turned its head and blasted Hop’s Corviknight out of the air with a Flamethrower. But it seemed like that’s what Hop’s plan was, and Kiyuki was able to put a bit of distance between her and Eternatus.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She directed Cornelius down, holding out her injured arm. Raihan caught a glimpse of the scorched sleeve of her hoodie before she grabbed the Ball out of Hop’s raised hand, clicking it open. Nimbus shot a Dragon Pulse at Eternatus as it was bearing down on them, and the attack slammed into it. Eternatus recoiled with a screech, and Kiyuki shot off again while Hop came scrambling back towards Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He went back to trying to wake his brother up, so Raihan watched Kiyuki. Eternatus chased her back up towards the black clouds. It glowed brightly against the storm, outlining its skeletal appearance, but the dark Corviknight flickered in and out of view. Bright flashes of energy beams and Flamethrowers lit up the sky, illuminating snapshots of the battle. They outlined the silhouette of Cornelius, looping and spiralling around every attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan leaned up against the wall of the lift, his heart speeding up as he watched Kiyuki only narrowly dodge another Flamethrower. But she was too busy dodging to be able to land a hit of her own. She had an unbelievably small margin of error, and it terrified him to know just how quickly this could go wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus let out another ear splitting roar. Its core glowed again and the energy beam lit up a swath of the sky as it carved downwards towards the roof. Cornelius’ silhouette spiralled around it, following its trajectory at breakneck pace. Eternatus followed, barreling down as the beam faded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan held his breath as they neared the roof. Eternatus kept snapping at Kiyuki as it followed. Cornelius came into view, silhouetted against the glowing dragon. It was terrifyingly close, almost overtaking Cornelius entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cornelius suddenly flung his wings open, angling them so that he pulled up and veered off to the side to avoid crashing into the roof. Or he would have. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s heart stopped when Eternatus roared and swung its tail around, hitting Kiyuki dead on and throwing her off the Corviknight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She fell, waving her arms to try and right herself. She managed to land on her feet, but her ankle jerked to the side as she landed, catching on a bit of broken brick. Raihan’s eyes widened when she screamed as she fell onto the rubble, turning over and clutching at her ankle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Eternatus was already bearing down on her, shrieking as its core began to glow. Kiyuki scrambled back across the ground, but she eventually backed up into a pile of bricks. With nowhere to go, she hastily threw a hand up in a desperate attempt to protect herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki!” Raihan screamed, terror gripping at his heart again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No! She can’t die! Not like this! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dubwool! Use… Something!” Hop yelled from off the screen. Dubwool bleated as he went bounding towards Eternatus, ramming into it with a Double Edge. It snarled and reared its head back, but screeched when a Dragon Pulse slammed into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki. Sitting on the rubble where she had fallen with Nimbus out beside her. Breathing heavy, but alive. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank Arceus… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice save, Hop,” he said. But Hop gave no sign that he had heard him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus reared up and let out another shrieking roar. Then it fell, falling limp and crashing against the roof. Hop sprinted across the roof to Kiyuki, helping her to her feet and supporting her weight as best as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan let out a sigh of relief. She was fine, they were all fine. And she had just defeated a Legendary Pokémon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s pretty impressive. Not many Trainers can say they’ve done that. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yet, a sense of dread was still coiling in his gut. Something was wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The storm hadn’t disappeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… this isn’t over. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as that thought crossed his mind, Eternatus began to glow. It raised its head, before shooting up into the sky at impossible speeds. Raihan’s breath stuttered as it began to grow longer, but it didn’t stop. It kept growing, coiling up in the sky and glowing brightly. The clouds around it took on a more purple glow, churning and spreading out even faster than before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A groan came from off screen. The camera swivelled around as Leon lifted his head, rubbing his temple and blinking, blindly grasping for the phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Urgh… Rai?! What happened?! Where are you?! Where’s Hop and Kiyuki?!” He yelled, sitting bolt upright, then clutching his head again from the sudden movement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slow down! Don’t hurt yourself!” Raihan exclaimed. “I’m trapped in the lift, the chairman cut the power off. Hop and Kiyuki were fighting Eternatus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon glanced up, his jaw falling open. “Arceus… Rai… What is that thing?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s blood ran cold for what had to be the millionth time that day when Leon turned the camera back around. Eternatus had fully transformed, turning into a serpentine dragon that radiated purple-red light. It floated high above the roof, coiled in the roiling black clouds. And its head… It had turned into a sort of hand, and it roared as it reached down towards two figures on the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop and Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon saw them at the same time as he did. “No! Hop! Kiyuki! Run!” He screamed, trying to lunge across the roof towards them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They can’t! Kiyuki’s hurt!” Raihan yelled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the wind started to pick up, building and gathering strength. It began to lift the fallen bricks and metal that lay scattered across the roof, dragging them up towards the sky. It formed a swirling maelstrom that pushed Leon back across the roof, effectively cutting him off from the two teenagers trapped inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Leon screamed again, still trying to force his way through the wind. Bright flashes came from within the storm as Hop and Kiyuki both tried to attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rai! Their attacks aren’t doing anything!” Leon yelled. Raihan was speechless, frozen as he watched a Dragon Pulse, a Payback, a Moonblast, a Dark Pulse, a Hyper Voice, and a Swift all fade harmlessly against Eternatus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is this thing?! How can it absorb all those attacks?!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re going to die!” Leon screamed. “I can’t… I can’t save them!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan just stared at the forms of Hop and Kiyuki through the swirling debris. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, the horrible realization that he would probably be watching those two die starting to sink in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And all he could do was watch. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry, going to have to leave you guys on another cliffhanger for a few more days.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Eternal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's doggo time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eternatus let out another shrieking roar as it loomed over Hop and Kiyuki. Nimbus and Umbreon had already thrown every attack they had at it, but it absorbed every hit all the same. Even Nimbus’ Dragon Pulse, which was super effective before it had transformed, also faded harmlessly against it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had also whipped up a whirlwind that swirled around them, picking up pieces of debris and dragging them up towards the sky. Kiyuki staggered when another gust nearly knocked her over, forcing her to shift her weight onto her injured ankle. It throbbed the moment she put any weight on it. She leaned on Hop for support, keeping her uninjured arm around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t working! I can’t use any moves!” Hop desperately yelled. He was staring wide-eyed at Eternatus, and Kiyuki could feel him shaking next to her. What vaguely sounded like someone yelling their names briefly reached them, but the wind drowned the sound out a moment later. Kiyuki decided that she imagined it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t either! What do we do?!” Kiyuki yelled back, wincing when the wind set a shockwave of pain through her burnt arm. Eternatus’ beam attack had only grazed her, but it felt like she had gotten hit dead on with a Flamethrower. It prickled and ached, and the wind tearing it at certainly wasn’t helping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know!” Hop yelled, shaking his head. He trembled again when Eternatus roared and glowed brighter, but then froze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait! I forgot! Do you still have the sword from the Slumbering Weald?!” He yelled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Why?” Kiyuki called back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Use it! It might be old and rusty, but there’s got to be some use for it!” He shouted, before bringing the rusted shield out from where it was tucked under his arm. He used his free hand to hold it up above his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki gritted her teeth against the pain that ripped through her arm again as she reached behind her to where she had safely stowed the rusted sword in her bag. She had no idea what Hop was hoping to accomplish, but she copied him and held the sword up above her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They waited for what felt like an eternity. Eternatus kept storing power, glowing ever brighter as the storm above churned even more. Flashes of purple-tinged lightning continuously struck the dragon, but it absorbed those as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki felt a hum run through the sword in her hand. It travelled down her arm, turning into a chill that ran down her spine. The feeling of eyes, of being watched, crawled over her skin. But it was also a familiar feeling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Something… Something’s coming… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Behind Eternatus, a streak of red light and blue light emerged out of the storm. They grew larger, closer and closer, until they slammed into the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki gasped when the light faded. Crouched in front of them were Zacian and Zamazenta, exactly as they had appeared in the Slumbering Weald. But not illusions this time. They howled as they stood up to their full heights, the wind ruffling their fur. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy Arceus! They came!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rusted sword in her hand took on a blue glow. It gave a tug, as if there was an invisible hand pulling it out of her grasp. She let it go and it floated up, alongside the shield that had taken on a red glow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two artifacts hovered in the air. They shook, then snapped together and released a blindingly bright burst of red and blue light. Kiyuki held her hand up to shield her eyes from the light, until the different colours redirected into two separate beams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue light fell on Zacian, and the red light engulfed Zamazenta. The two wolves rose up into the air, staying within the ball of light until it finally faded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was speechless as she stared at the two wolves when the last remnants of light had evaporated. They had transformed into a much more regal form, more reminiscent of the statues in Stow-on-Side. The golden metal that decorated both of them reflected the light that still emanated from Eternatus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian now had what looked like gold wing-like appendages on its back, and a regal gold faceplate. It clutched a gilded and jeweled golden sword in its jaws, and let out an echoing howl before standing alongside Nimbus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zamazenta had become an ornate golden shield itself, with dark blue fur draped over its back like a cape. The shield covered the front half of its body, clanging as it went to stand beside Umbreon in front of Hop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus roared again, and both wolves howled in response, joining their cries together. Kiyuki smiled and Hop cheered beside her. Zacian and Zamazenta showing up was exactly what they needed to actually have a chance now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki! I think we can attack it now! Thanks to Zacian and Zamazenta, that is!” Hop yelled next to her. He was grinning now, and the fear that had been lurking in his eyes had vanished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s finish this then!” Kiyuki grinned back. She too felt lighter, stronger, the pain dulled. And the simmering fear now absent. “Dragon Pulse, Nimbus!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Altaria hummed in response, shooting a Dragon Pulse at Eternatus. Kiyuki’s heart leapt when it actually did damage, and Eternatus recoiled with a hiss. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian howled, raising the attack of all their Pokémon, including Umbreon and Nimbus. Zamazenta joined, and a shimmering barrier of light appeared between them and Eternatus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Light Screen… It’s protecting us! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Eternatus began to glow. It shrieked, drawing up another gust of wind and twisting it into a purple-tinged Max Wyrmwind. The twister went careening straight at Nimbus, who was struggling to right herself after the wind had knocked her off course. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nimbus! Move!” Kiyuki yelled, her eyes widening. Nimbus squawked, but kept tumbling in the air as another blast of wind slammed into her. The twister spiralled closer, but to Kiyuki’s amazement, Zacian leapt in front of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It engulfed the Legendary wolf, whirling around and cutting at it. Kiyuki gasped when the attack faded. Zacian was unscathed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What… What?! It’s a Fairy-type! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Zacian!” Kiyuki yelled, and heard a low growl from the wolf in response. The wind kept howling, so Kiyuki instructed Nimbus to land so that she wouldn’t keep getting knocked out of the air. The Altaria tucked her wings in when she landed, and she looked miniscule next to Zacian. She didn’t even come up to its knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop called for a Dark Pulse from his Umbreon just as Kiyuki went for another Dragon Pulse. The beam and the wave of dark energy battered Eternatus, and it recoiled with a hiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian stepped forward. It crouched down and let out a low growl before raising its head. The sword held in its jaws began to glow, and Kiyuki gaped as it transformed into a blue, razor-sharp flat blade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Holding the blade tight in its jaws, Zacian leapt at Eternatus. It swung its head to slash at Eternatus with the sword, and the dragon let out a piercing screech when it connected. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy Arceus… That worked!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Behemoth Blade…” She whispered, the name of Zacian’s attack suddenly appearing unbidden in her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How do I know that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian leapt back up into the air, leaping back to where the rest of them were. It landed right next to Kiyuki and met her gaze, holding it while the blue glow of the flattened blade disappeared, reverting back to the gold sword. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Zamazenta wasn’t about to be outdone by its counterpart. It howled and began to glow red, drawing up bits of metal and shrapnel from the ground. The metal at its sides suddenly moved, snapping forward to its front. Red ran through the cracks in the golden metal and Zamazenta launched itself at Eternatus, ramming into it at blinding speeds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Behemoth Bash…” Hop muttered, and Kiyuki jumped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You too?” She asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Hop said. “It just… came to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm…” Kiyuki hummed. She hadn’t had the name of Zamazenta’s attack appear in her head like Zacian’s did. But she could dwell on that later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The damage that Nimbus and Umbreon had done to Eternatus paled in comparison to the astounding amount that the wolves had done. </span>
  <em>
    <span>These wolves really were the heroes in the legends… And this must be so familiar to them… A repeat of the same ancient battle they fought thousands of years ago to stop the first Darkest Day… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was forced to readjust her good ankle when another gust of wind blew by, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Come on, Nimbus! Let’s keep helping them out! Keep using Dragon Pulse whenever you have an opening!” Kiyuki called. Nimbus attacked immediately, since Zacian and Zamazenta weren’t attacking. The Dragon Pulse came out and slammed into Eternatus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus roared again when the remnants of Nimbus’ Dragon Pulse faded. It pulled another gust of wind up and twisted it into another Max Wyrmwind, before it screeched and sent it towards Hop and Umbreon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zamazenta landed next to him and leapt forward towards the twister. But it wasn’t fast enough and Umbreon became engulfed in the draconic whirlwind all the same. The wind took on the form of dragon wings, slicing at Umbreon before spreading out and disappearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki heard Hop let out a breath of relief. Umbreon was fine, and he shook out his fur before the yellow rings took on a slight glow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good thing for that Light Screen!” Hop grinned. “Payback, Umbreon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbreon snarled in response, and drew up more dark energy. He formed it into glinting, pointed spikes and sent them flying at Eternatus. They crackled with energy, the damage he had taken adding to their power.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki was about to call for another Dragon Pulse, but stopped when Zacian howled again. It leapt at Eternatus again and slashed at it with the glowing flat blade, landing just as a red streak shot towards the dragon. Zamazenta rammed into it with a second Behemoth Bash, and Kiyuki watched it leap back towards them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eternatus roared, its glow now pulsating and flickering. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s weakening… We actually have a chance! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It used Max Flare this time instead of Max Wyrmwind like before. The blast of fire caught Zamazenta in midair, knocking it down to the ground with a snarl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zamazenta!” Hop yelled. Kiyuki felt him stiffen, but he relaxed when Zamazenta got back to its feet and shook out its fur. The metal of the shield clanged and rattled, but Zamazenta crouched down with a low growl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s fine… Thank Arceus for that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Keep going, Nimbus! Dragon Pulse again!” Kiyuki yelled now that there was an opening. Hop called for a Dark Pulse as well, and both their attacks battered Eternatus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The roar it gave in response wasn’t as strong or fear-inducing as before, but it still drew up another gust of wind that tossed Kiyuki’s hair in front of her face. But it didn’t knock her over this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> She briefly glanced up at the sky, her heart lifting when she saw that the clouds weren’t churning like they were before. “Hop! It’s weakening! We have to keep hitting it!” She called, and he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A blue glow to the side caught her eye, and Zacian leapt at Eternatus with another Behemoth Blade. Zamazenta followed up like before, hitting it with Behemoth Bash yet again. Eternatus’ glow wavered as it shrieked again, but Kiyuki waited to see what it would do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It went for another Max Flare, aiming for Zacian now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not this time… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Switch out, Nimbus!” Kiyuki called, drawing the dusty Altaria back into her Ball. She didn’t want the wolves to take any more hits than they had to, and it looked like Zamazenta at least was weak to fire. But there should be enough time for her to stop this attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Block that Max Flare, Flicker! Let’s return the favour!” She grinned, tossing the Premier Ball out in front of Zacian. Flicker appeared just as the fire connected, and it swirled around him as he absorbed the hit. Zacian gave a small howl when the fire disappeared, and she smiled at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Kiyuki! Let’s finish this together!” Hop shouted. He was grinning now without a hint of fear left, and she returned the smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Together!” She called back. “Shadow Ball, Flicker!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dark Pulse!” Hop yelled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time seemed to slow down when the wave of dark energy joined the crackling Shadow Ball, and both attacks connected simultaneously. Eternatus let out an ear-piercing, shrieking roar as purple lightning snaked across its body and its head drooped forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki!” Hop yelled, and she turned her head to look at him. “Catch it! Now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Catch it?! Why me?!” She yelled back. A growl came from her other side, and she glanced at Zacian. It stared at her, holding her gaze before giving another low growl. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Agreeing with Hop, huh?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has to be you!” He said. “Now’s your chance!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki stared up at the weakened dragon, still with purple lightning crackling over it and up into the faltering storm. She reached for an empty Ultra Ball in the outside pocket of her backpack, clicking it open. A few wisps of red light appeared from her Dynamax Band, falling on the empty Ultra Ball and transforming it into a Dynamax Ball. It was surprisingly light, and she was easily able to hold it with one hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gritted her teeth against the searing pain that ripped through her arm again as she threw the Ball as best as she could with only one hand. The Ball soared in a perfect arc towards Eternatus, before stopping in midair and opening on its own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Light swirled around it, streaming out until Eternatus was completely surrounded by wisps of red light. It writhed and roared, glowing blindingly bright. It fought against the light, and a growing sense of fear started to creep up on Kiyuki again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on… You’re not breaking out this time!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But eventually, Eternatus became engulfed in an impossibly bright flash of light, and it was pulled inside. The Ball stayed in the air at first, twisting on the spot before dropping out the sky. It landed with a crack that gouged a crater in the bricks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki held her breath. The Ball shook once. Then twice. Then finally a third time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Ball shrunk back to its normal size, then sealed with a click at last. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In an instant, the winds that had been swirling around them disappeared. All the debris they had been carrying fell to the roof, bricks cracking and metal clanging. The clouds above stopped glowing. The churning slowed until the storm melted away, the clouds above disappearing first. Then the ones that had spread across the rest of Galar vanished in turn. And behind them…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki let out the breath she’d been holding. It was over. The Darkest Day was stopped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop cheered next to her, bouncing up and down. Kiyuki hissed when the sudden movement jarred her ankle, reminding her that it was still sore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I’m sorry!” Hop apologized. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it. Can you help me sit down?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop nodded, supporting her weight over to a pile of bricks and metal and helping her down. He immediately whirled around when Zamazenta nudged him in the back, jumping in surprise. Kiyuki smiled at the exchange, watching Hop speaking with the wolf.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of claws scritching against the bricks drew her attention away from Hop. Zacian padded towards her, holding her gaze before stopping right in front of her. She hadn’t really thought about just how huge these wolves were, but she barely came up to Zacian’s belly sitting down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you…” She whispered. “We owe you our lives.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian just gave a small howl in return, still holding her gaze. Kiyuki hesitantly stretched out her hand, holding her palm out in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened when Zacian shifted its weight forward, so that her hand came into contact with its golden faceplate. It never broke its gaze, just watching her until she dropped her hand and smiled at it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Zacian moved forward again, gently depositing the sword it was carrying in its jaws in her lap. The moment it was no longer in contact with the wolf, the gold and jewels that were adorning it vanished. What remained was the same rusted sword she had picked up in the Slumbering Weald earlier that same day, but even that felt like an eternity ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki said nothing, tearing her eyes away from the sword and back up to Zacian. It had changed back into the form from the Slumbering Weald, the gold and the metal having disappeared with the sword. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“R-Right…” She stammered, surprised when tears pricked at her eyes. “I guess this is goodbye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian gave a low growl. It bent down and gently nudged her shoulder with its nose, and Kiyuki nearly jumped in surprise. She smiled and gently ran her hand over its flank, before pulling it back and wiping away the tear with the back of her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll miss you,” she said. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zacian gave another small howl, then it was drifting away from her. Its claws kept scratching against the bricks as it made its way to the edge of the roof. Zamazenta was already waiting there, also back in its form from the Slumbering Weald. Both wolves howled triumphantly, a cry of victory that rang out over Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then they leapt into the air, vanishing the same streaks of red and blue light they had appeared in. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So... </p><p>I may have gotten hooked on Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, and may have been playing that non stop instead of writing. </p><p>Sorry guys. But it's a great game, I would highly recommend it.</p><p>On another note, over 100 kudos? Holy Arceus, thank you! I never expected so many people to actually be enjoying this, but it makes me so happy that you all are!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zacian and Zamazenta’s howl hung over the roof even after they had disappeared. Kiyuki sighed, wiping the last remnants of tears away. Dear Arceus, she was tired. Her ankle and her arm still throbbed, seemingly even more so now that the wolves were gone. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the late afternoon sun beaming down on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki!” She opened her eyes as Hop was jogging up to her, grinning broadly. “That was wicked! I can’t believe that Zacian and Zamazenta came to help us! We actually stopped the Darkest Day!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It felt like the legends we’ve been helping Sonia research were repeating themselves… Except, you know, with us…” Kiyuki whispered, smiling when she really thought about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop grinned. “I guess Sonia was kind of right when she said that you and me could become the new heroes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki rolled her eyes and laughed, but she smiled when she remembered that encounter with Sonia outside the Circhester Baths. The battle with Hop, the tapestry in the restaurant, those delicious spring rolls… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh, some food would be great right about now… Food and a nap.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! By the way, mate. Here!” He said, holding out an Ultra Ball. Eternatus. Kiyuki hesitantly took it, turning it over a couple times in her hands. A Legendary Pokémon with the power to unleash so much destruction… Now sitting in her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t think it would be a good idea to let it out at all, so she tucked it away in her bag. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. And… Uh… You know… Thank you for saving my life back there,” Kiyuki said, smiling up at him. She knew she’d be flat out dead had Dubwool not distracted Eternatus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s what friends are for! I’ll always have your back!” He grinned. “And I know you’d do the same for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I would!” Kiyuki said, returning his smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop’s head snapped up when someone yelled his name. Leon was kneeling on the bricks near where he had fallen, but awake and alive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lee!” Hop yelled, his face lighting up. “You’re all right!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned as he sprinted back across the roof and nearly tackled his brother in a hug. She pulled out her phone and flipped through her messages until she found the conversation with her mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We stopped the Darkest Day. I’m alright. So are Hop and Leon. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She typed, sending the message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mother’s reply came a moment later. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank Arceus! I’ll let Lily know they’re ok. Are you hurt?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki: </span>
  <em>
    <span>A bit. Got grazed with beam attack, sort of like a Dragon Pulse but way stronger. And my left ankle. Not sure if it’s broken or not. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mom: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Make sure you get that checked out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki: </span>
  <em>
    <span>I will. Where are you? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mom: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Still in Wyndon. Not too many Dynamax Pokémon around here. The Spikemuth Gym Leader and his sister took care of the ones that did pop up. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Are they alright?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mom: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes. Thanks for letting me know that you were ok. Piece of mind for me after you throwing yourself in danger like that. Again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Marnie and Piers were alright. That was good news. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry. I’ll see you soon, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she typed back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mom: </span>
  <em>
    <span>See you soon. Love you sweetheart. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Love you too. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps coming from Leon’s direction pulled Kiyuki’s attention away from her phone. Leon was exactly where he was before, but Hop was coming up the steps with Raihan right behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smiled, raising a hand to wave at him. He shot her a tired-looking grin, then slowly wove around the piles of bricks and rubble towards her. “You’re late, Raihan!” She called when he got a little closer. He laughed in response, the sound reminding her again that they were all still alive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the feeling of relief was replaced by ice when she saw the red-stained strip of cloth hastily tied around his leg. “Your leg! What happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waved her off. “Dynamax Perrserker, ironically. Grazed me with a Max Steelspike. I’ll live, don’t worry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds familiar,” she laughed, glancing down at her left hand. The scar from that ordeal was very faint now, but still visible. “I thought you were coming up to help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, sitting down on another pile of bricks across from her. “I was, actually. But the chairman didn’t want me doing that, and he trapped me in the lift.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously? How?” Kiyuki asked, having to stifle a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>In any other situation, the idea of Raihan getting stuck in an elevator would’ve been extremely funny… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cut the power off. I couldn’t go anywhere. Good thing there was a switch up here to override it, otherwise I’d still be stuck in there,” Raihan replied before his gaze flicked back to hers. “How’s the ankle? That was a nasty fall you had there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! You were watching all that?” She exclaimed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh man… How embarrassing… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep. I was watching through Lee’s phone. You could’ve been hurt much more than just that…” Raihan muttered. “Or worse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Kiyuki sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hell, you probably would have been, had those wolves not shown up,” Raihan said. “I can’t believe you kids managed to summon them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zacian and Zamazenta,” Kiyuki said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Raihan asked, raising an eyebrow at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Their names. Sonia told us in the Slumbering Weald right before we found the sword and shield,” Kiyuki replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan frowned. “She didn’t tell the rest of us. Zacian and Zamazenta… Pretty amazing…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded, before a scuffling noise drew her attention away. Hop was trying to help Leon to his feet, but was having a lot of trouble supporting his brother’s weight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hop! It’s all right, I’ll help him!” Raihan called to him, before standing up and navigating his way back around the rubble. “Can you get Kiyuki? We should get these two to the hospital.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Hop said, letting go of Leon’s arm. Kiyuki balanced herself on her uninjured right ankle and struggled to her feet as best as she could. She wobbled a few times, but managed to regain her balance long enough to sling her good arm around Hop’s shoulders again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan had managed to get Leon to his feet and was supporting his weight when they made it back. “Hop… Kiyuki…” Leon started.. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As much as I don’t like you two constantly throwing yourselves into danger… Thank you for coming to help,” he said. “I’d be dead if you hadn’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We couldn’t just sit by and watch, you know?” Kiyuki smiled, and Hop nodded in agreement. “Not if we could do something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Although you did probably take about 5 years off my life,” Leon chuckled. “I’m still grateful that you came regardless.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki returned his smile, then kept shuffling with Hop towards the elevator. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s high praise for him.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was still beaming down onto empty streets when Kiyuki and Hop stepped back out of the Stadium. But Kiyuki was still uneasy. Both Chairman Rose and Oleana had disappeared, leaving both the power plant and the lobby empty. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fleeing the scene of the crime… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the Stadium lobby was surprisingly intact. But the rest of the city had clearly taken a beating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Piles of bricks, metal and rubble littered the roads. A few houses had their roofs caved in, leaving gaping holes in the shingles. The footsteps of Dynamax Pokémon had gouged craters into the road, and had made pretty serious dents in the walls of the city. It was a lot to take in, but Kiyuki knew it could’ve been much, much worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can only imagine what destruction Eternatus would’ve caused if we hadn’t managed to stop it. This damage would’ve probably would’ve paled in comparison to that… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop started pulling her towards the hospital again, which turned out to be just down the road. It was also intact, not a single brick out of place, while chasms were cut into the streets surrounding it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as they got closer, the reason for it being intact came into view. Three of Raihan’s Gym Trainers were sitting on a pile of rubble in front of the hospital, conversing amongst themselves. They had some injuries themselves that appeared to have already been treated, indicated by the bandages wrapped around the male Trainer’s arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan and Leon paused to talk to them, so Hop kept pulling her forward through the doors. There were a few people in the waiting room, all being treated for various scratches and scrapes. Kiyuki was relieved to see that no one appeared to have gotten seriously hurt, at least not here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The receptionist at the desk glanced up from her computer, before her eyes widened. “Holy Arceus! Challenger Kiyuki and Challenger Hop! I can’t believe I actually get to meet you two!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er… N-Nice to meet you too!” Hop stammered. “Is there a doctor or a nurse available for Kiyuki?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course! There’s been remarkably little in terms of injuries despite all this madness. I guess we have the Champion and the Gym Leaders to thank for that! Now I presume you were hurt by some falling rubble as well?” The receptionist replied, her voice becoming increasingly chipper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um… No. Fighting Eternatus,” Kiyuki chimed in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! You two were fighting that thing?! Where was the Champion?!” The receptionist exclaimed. She nearly knocked over her coffee cup, and gave the two of them a bug-eyed stare once she managed to save it. Kiyuki had to stifle a laugh at her reaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Knocked out.” Leon’s voice came from behind them. The receptionist was still silent when him and Raihan staggered in, just gaping at them all. “These two were the ones to stop Eternatus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She cleared her throat. “Ah, I-I see. We’ll get someone for the four of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not me,” Hop said, “I’m fine. I think Kiyuki and Lee definitely took the worst of it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The receptionist nodded, then pressed a button on her desk. A nurse appeared out of the back shortly after and ushered them through a set of doors, bringing them into a mostly empty ward. Most of the people there seemed to have been hurt by falling rubble, like the receptionist hinted at. Another reminder that this could’ve been far worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop plunked himself down on a chair next to the hospital bed after helping Kiyuki sit down. “Arceus… I feel like I’m about to fall over,” he groaned as he buried his face in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to wait for us, you know.” Kiyuki smiled. “I’ll be fine. Leon and Raihan will be too, I’m sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he sighed. “I’ll wait anyways. You might need help to get back to the hotel anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Kiyuki could reply, the curtains around her bed parted. She had to stifle a laugh when she realized it was the same nurse that had treated her hands after fighting the Dynamax Perrserker. The nurse glowered at her as Kiyuki gave her a sheepish smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Again, Challenger Kiyuki? I heard you were fighting Eternatus this time. What happened to staying out of trouble?” She grumbled, stepping inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I figured that saving the world would be a worthy reason to get into trouble.” Kiyuki shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmph,” the nurse replied. “Well, we do appreciate the world being saved. Where did you hurt yourself this time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki held out her burned arm, and gestured to her ankle with the other hand. The nurse went to work on her arm straight away, applying some sort of cream and wrapping it up in bandages like before. She then X-rayed Kiyuki’s ankle, and left to look at the results. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She left the curtains open on her way out, revealing Leon sitting on the hospital bed across from her. But he wasn’t alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sonia sat next to him, still in her lab coat. Her head was down, and she was nervously twisting her hands together in her lap. It looked like she was saying something, but Kiyuki couldn’t make it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not wanting to intrude, she was about to look away and talk to Hop some more. But a flash of movement caught her eye. Leon had quickly reached over and grabbed one of Sonia’s hands, causing her to jump. Kiyuki grinned to herself as Sonia turned as red as an Occa berry, her eyes widening as she turned her head to face Leon, just inches from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’re you grinning at, mate?” Hop said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “I bet it’s Raihan, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-Hop!” Kiyuki stammered. “Quiet! It’s nothing! I just… thought of something funny!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh, sure. And what would that be?” He gave her a mischievous grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki wracked her brain for some sort of joke to get out of this situation. “What do you get when you give a Meowth a photocopier?” She smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop furrowed his brow. “A… What? I don’t know!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A copycat.” Kiyuki grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop touched his chin, seeming to process the joke for a moment. Then his eyes lit up and he laughed. This time, a true, genuine laugh. The first one she’s heard from him in a while, she remarked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A copycat! That’s so terrible, mate!” He laughed, shaking his head at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nurse appeared again through the curtains, this time holding a clipboard. “Well, I have good news for you, Challenger Kiyuki. You didn’t break your ankle after all, and it's likely just twisted. So I see no reason to keep you here for the night. You just need to stay off of it, keep some ice on it, and just rest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki let out a sigh of relief. A broken ankle would be extremely inconvenient, and would complicate her plans substantially. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Brilliant!” Hop grinned. “Let’s go back to the hotel then! Hopefully it's still intact!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nurse nodded and left, pulling back the curtains as she went. Hop started supporting Kiyuki’s weight again, and waved at Leon and Sonia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon had let go of Sonia’s hand, but they hadn’t moved from their original positions. Sonia looked less nervous now, but their shoulders were still brushing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heya! That was pretty impressive, you two! Leon just told me what happened!” Sonia said, smiling up at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Kiyuki replied. “Where did you find out about Zacian and Zamazenta, by the way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sonia frowned. “Zacian… and Zamazenta? What’re you talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The names of the two wolves! You told us inside the Slumbering Weald!” Hop added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?! I never went into the Slumbering Weald! I just ran into you two outside!” Sonia exclaimed, giving Kiyuki and Hop a bewildered look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then… Was that an illusion too?” Kiyuki whispered, mostly to Hop. He was staring wide-eyed at Sonia, and frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must’ve been… But why would there be an illusion of Sonia?” He muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… I don’t know. I’ll have to look into that. But where are you two headed now?” Sonia said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Back to the hotel. Hey, Lee… Are you gonna be all right?” Hop said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon nodded. “I’ll be fine. Just got told to give it a few days, then we can have that Championship match, Kiyuki! It’ll be a Champion time for sure! I can’t wait!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always thinking about Pokémon… You never stop even though you got knocked out by a Legendary dragon,” Sonia chided, nudging him with her shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon chuckled. “Well, of course! That doesn’t change anything! I’ll see you two back in Wyndon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sonia just rolled her eyes, but waved at Kiyuki and Hop anyways as Hop started to pull her towards the exit. The Gym Trainers outside were gone now, and people were slowly filtering back into the city from the Wild Area and Route 7. The sun was much closer to the horizon now, and was starting to dip behind the city walls.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hop… Can we take a taxi? I don’t feel like walking,” Kiyuki said, feeling her exhaustion starting to weigh down on her again.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Yeah… Good idea. I’ll call one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The taxi cab lurched as it landed in front of the hotel in Wyndon. The hotel in Hammerlocke had taken a bit of beating from some of the Dynamax Pokémon, leaving Hop and Kiyuki no choice but to return to Wyndon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Corviknight carrying the taxi squawked as it folded its wings with a rustle. Hop pushed the door of the cab open and stepped out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he was stopped in his tracks a moment later. Kiyuki grinned when Marnie appeared out of nowhere, and barrelled into Hop. She pulled him into a hug, and Hop returned it, smiling and whispering something to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You scared the livin’ daylights outta me!” She exclaimed when she pulled back. “When I heard that you two were fightin’ Eternatus…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Marn.” Hop gave her a sheepish smile, but still keeping his hands on her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re all right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to see you in one piece. Kiyuki too,” she replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt your moment, but I think the cabbie here would like to get going. And I can’t walk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop flushed a brilliant shade of red and dropped his hands. “R-Right! Sorry! Let’s go!” He stammered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He helped Kiyuki up out of the cab, supporting her weight again. Marnie came to Kiyuki’s other side, helping Hop as best as she could. The three of them chatted amongst themselves up to a free hotel room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki sighed as she was finally free to lay down on the nice, comfortable bed. It took everything for her to avoid just simply closing her eyes and going to sleep immediately, but the gnawing feeling in her stomach was enough of a reason to stay awake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop apparently felt the same, and he clapped his hands together. “Well! That’s that then. I feel like I could eat my own arm right about now, so why don’t I go and get us all some takeaway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Best idea ever,” Kiyuki commented, forcing her eyes open again. “I’ll have spring rolls if they have some. Macaroni and cheese if they don’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop grinned. “Got it! Marn? Want to come?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about Kiyuki? Are we all right to leave her?” Marnie frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Kiyuki said. “I won’t die on you guys. Go ahead, I’m going to nap anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marnie nodded, then headed towards the door with Hop following two steps behind her. Kiyuki waited until the door slammed shut before pulling out her phone. She pulled up the information for her flight, originally scheduled for tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had everything gone according to her plan, she would’ve been finished with the Championship match by now. She would’ve probably been back at Postwick and packing, then disappearing from Galar without anyone any wiser. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could probably still do it, just get on her flight tomorrow and leave. She was strong enough now… Strong enough to get revenge for Dad. It was hard to believe that it had been over five months since he died. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Kiyuki still missed him. She wondered what he would think seeing her progress in the Gym Challenge, whether he would be proud like Mom thought he would be. Or maybe he’d be disappointed at her abandoning her family in Hoenn, and abandoning the role she was supposed to fill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even now, the pain of his absence still stung. It was just easier to suppress it, then she wouldn’t have to feel it. She needed revenge, so she could finally put the pain to rest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But her ankle complicated her plans. Being unable to walk made it difficult to just slip out and get on her flight. And she hasn’t even packed yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Leon was so excited about their match. He had endorsed her after all, and she didn’t want to let him down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No… I need to see this match through. I can leave after. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki sighed, then scrolled down to the list of upcoming flights to Slateport City. Most of them were full, but there were a few available seats on a flight that was a week from her original one. And it was the same price too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly rescheduled her flight to that one, then shut off her phone and placed it on the nightstand beside her. She finally allowed her eyes to close, letting herself relax to take that nap that she said she’d be taking. Revenge would just need to wait one more week. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry that I keep taking so long with these chapters! Had a bit of writer's block with this one for sure, but I should hopefully get the next ones done sooner!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiyuki flipped the ice pack on her ankle over, feeling the shock of cold seep through her skin. It dulled the slowly dwindling pain even more as she flopped back down onto the pillows of the hotel bed. Nimbus sleepily lifted her head up from under her wing, jostled by Kiyuki’s movement. She stroked her soft wings until the Altaria fell back asleep, leaving her attention free to flick back up to the TV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was some crazy baking show, mostly because there was nothing better to watch. The contestants were tasked with creating delicious cupcakes using avocado, and were apparently going to be judged by a Slurpuff. Right now, they were frantically trying to finish decorating their cupcakes, adding last minute fondant flowers and cookie crumbs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh! That one looks good!” Marnie commented, gesturing to the cupcake with the cookie crumbs on top. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure if avocado with chocolate will work,” Hop added. “Vegetables don’t belong in baking under any circumstance if you ask me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about carrot cake? Or chocolate zucchini cake?” Kiyuki asked, and couldn’t help but laugh when Hop made a face at her suggestions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gross! I’ll just stick with plain old cake without anything hiding in it!” Hop exclaimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop and Marnie were both flopped on the other side of the bed, stretched out beside Kiyuki. She was extremely grateful that both of them were keeping her company while she was stuck in bed, waiting for her ankle to heal. They made the time go by much faster, and prevented her from getting bored or antsy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although, the selection on TV had also been far more interesting the last couple of days. Documentaries on different castles and estates in the Kalos region, and a show about using computers and sonar to map shipwrecks in the oceans surrounding Unova. She had no idea just how many shipwrecks there were around there, and the stories that surrounded them were absolutely fascinating to her. There were a surprising number of ships sunk by Gyarados. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All in between the news of course. The coverage was focusing mainly on the rebuilding of the cities damaged by Dynamax Pokemon, but the latest story was now plastered over every news channel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chairman Rose and Oleana had turned themselves in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki didn’t entirely know what to think of that. On one hand, it meant the chairman was owning up to his mistake. But it could also mean that he won’t get the punishment he deserves. He could’ve killed millions of people, or even the entire population of Galar, and he was unnervingly unfazed. Only appearing in public with an impassive look, still holding onto the belief that he was doing the right thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pushed those thoughts out of her head. There was a reason that they weren’t watching the news. But that meant the most interesting thing on TV was this baking show. Yet, Kiyuki still found herself interested, and now was really wanting to know who was going to win. The three contestants were now bringing their cupcakes to the Slurpuff that would decide their fate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marnie had a point though. The cupcake with the cookie crumbs, made by a man from the Sinnoh region, did look absolutely delicious. They all looked delicious, being honest. Now Kiyuki was seriously craving some sort of cupcake, with or without hidden avocados. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oof, that’s gotta hurt,” Hop commented, snapping Kiyuki out of her cupcake daydreaming. The Slurpuff had vehemently rejected the first contestant’s cupcake, leaving her out of the running.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it clearly enjoyed the remaining contestant’s cupcakes, going so far as to devour both of the cupcakes it was given. And of course, the TV program had to throw in more commercials before announcing the winner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smirked when both Marnie and Hop started grumbling at the interruption. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop sighed and flopped back onto the bed. “I bet that lady from Kalos is gonna win,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No way! It’s definitely gonna be that guy from Sinnoh!” Marnie replied. She lowered her voice when Hop’s Umbreon curled up next to her, propping himself up against her leg. A zoned-out smile slowly crept over Hop’s face as he watched her gently stroking Umbreon’s fur, but it instantly disappeared when he noticed Kiyuki watching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had to stifle a laugh when Hop quickly flicked his eyes back to the TV, his face taking on a brilliant shade of red. Unfortunately for him, they were still playing commercials, so he gave Kiyuki a look that screamed “don’t you dare” loud and clear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki just smirked at him again. “I’m going to have to agree with Marnie on this one. The guy from Sinnoh is totally going to win,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But before the commercial break could end, a soft knock came from the door. Hop rolled off the bed and padded across the room just as Nimbus yawned and lifted her head up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey!” Hop said from out of sight. “No, Kiyuki hasn’t moved. You don’t need to ask to come in, you know!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Who’s that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki frowned, leaning forward to try and see. But she brightened when Hop rounded the corner again, this time with her mother right behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi Mom!” Kiyuki grinned. “Oh! Have you met Marnie, by the way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Briefly,” she said, smiling at Marnie, who was still sitting cross-legged on the bed. “It’s nice to properly meet you.” Marnie just nodded and lifted the hand that was still petting Umbreon, causing the Pokémon to open his eyes and glare up at her. Until she started petting him again, that is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiyuki...” her mother started, “can I have a word with you, please? In private.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem! I’m seriously craving cupcakes now anyways! Let’s go find some, Marn! This time without any hidden avocados!” Hop grinned, bouncing in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Marnie replied, sliding off the bed. Umbreon got up as well, stretching out his legs before jumping down to the floor. “I think I saw a bake shop towards the plaza.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bring one back for me too!” Kiyuki called after them just as the door slammed shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this about avocados?” Her mother smiled. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and only now did Kiyuki realize that she wasn’t empty handed. There was a box tucked under her arm, about a foot long and made of light-coloured wood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Kiyuki smiled. “Just a TV show we were watching.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was it that baking show with the Slurpuff?” Her mother said. “I’ve seen it on TV a lot. Seems to be quite popular here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s the one,” Kiyuki laughed. The show had just come back on, and now she had to know who the winner was. The Slurpuff stood before the two remaining contestants, remaining in place for a few more moments. Then it waddled over to the man from Sinnoh, officially deciding him as the winner. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ha! Told you so, Hop!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what’s going on? I swear I’ve been letting my ankle rest,” Kiyuki added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” her mother replied, pulling the box out from under her arm and balancing it in one hand. “Remember, before the finals, when I told you that I wanted to give you something after your matches?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember,” Kiyuki said. “But I haven’t finished my matches yet. I still have the one against Leon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. But I’ve changed my mind, and I want to give it to you now,” her mother whispered. She shifted the box a few more times between her hands, before finally passing it to Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In hindsight, I really should’ve given it to you much sooner. You really could’ve used it against Eternatus. I was just holding onto it since it isn’t something that’s used here in Galar, but it’s still your right to have it. Your father got it for you about a week after Nimbus hatched, and was intending to give it to you for when you started to challenge the Gyms,” she added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is from Dad?” Kiyuki whispered, staring down at the unassuming box in her hands. It had a bit of a weight to it, predominantly on one side of the box. There was no tag, no writing to confirm that it was from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” her mother sighed. “It’s… his last gift to you. Go ahead and open it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sting of tears pricked at Kiyuki’s eyes yet again. Yet she automatically thumbed the latch of the box until it slid to the side with a snap, and the lid of the box lifted ever so slightly. She flipped it open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The odd weight distribution of the box was much more obvious now. There were two stones inside, one considerably larger than the other. The smaller stone sparkled with all the colours of the rainbow, with a black symbol swirled inside. The larger one also had a similar swirling pattern composed of pink and blue, but the stone itself was mostly white. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In an odd way, these stones felt familiar. Kiyuki knew she'd seen these before, but where? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She found herself inexplicably drawn to the smaller rainbow stone, and hesitantly picked it up. It sent a jolt through her hand when she first touched it, but it quickly became comfortably warm in the palm of her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The warmth brought back the information she was looking for. A Key Stone. One of the components required for Mega Evolution to occur. Meaning the larger stone had to be…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Altarianite…” Kiyuki breathed. Nimbus had fully woken up now, and was curiously craning her neck at the white, pink, and blue stone that still remained in the box. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. I was wondering if you’d recognize it.” Her mother nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad got this… For me?” Kiyuki whispered again. Her eyes burned as she tried to keep the tears from spilling over her eyelids. But the feeling of a warmth against her face indicated that she was unsuccessful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” her mother replied. “It’s rightfully yours. You’ll need them if you’re going to go back to Hoenn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “I stand by what I told you before the Finals. He would’ve been so proud of how far you’ve come. And he would’ve wanted you to move on. To live your life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Kiyuki gently replaced the rainbow Key Stone back into its slot in the box, and used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. “I just can’t… I need to make sure he gets justice for what happened to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mother stayed silent, her gaze flicking down to her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to go back. I… I need to,” Kiyuki choked. She didn’t try to stifle the tears this time, knowing that she’d fail even if she did try. She just let them flow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I miss him… So much. And I’ve wondered countless times during the Gym Challenge, what would he have thought of me? I abandoned the rest of our family when I left with you… Abandoned the path I was supposed to follow… Would he have resented me for that?” She sobbed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus fluttered up from her lap to her shoulders, and gently wrapped her wings around the sides of Kiyuki’s head. She gently hummed a string of notes, trying to comfort her. Kiyuki appreciated her attempts, and raised a hand behind her to pet her some more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You always had a choice. Although your fascination with the legends of Rayquaza made you well-suited to be passing down that knowledge, we never wanted to force that role on you. Your father would have never been disappointed in you, and never would’ve been mad. Ever,” her mother adamantly replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shifted forward and pulled Kiyuki into a hug. Kiyuki closed her eyes and just stayed there, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around her mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you…” She whispered. “I needed to hear that. But… I think you should hold on to the stones until I’m done my match against Leon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep them, sweetheart,” her mother asserted, finally pulling back. “Like I said. They’re rightfully yours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess so…” Kiyuki sighed. “But I won’t use them in the match. I’ll just… see how it goes. I’ll either beat him fair and square, or not at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do if you win?” Her mother added, leaning back on her hands. “You won’t be able to leave if you do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Leon’s literally called the “Unbeatable Champion,” Kiyuki shrugged. “I don’t know if I really have much of a chance anyways. But I’m still going to give it everything I’ve got. Whatever happens, happens.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was really hoping that you weren’t going to suggest throwing the match,” her mother said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, definitely not.” Kiyuki shook her head. “People would notice. Leon, Hop, Marnie… And Raihan too, probably. I’d never get away with it anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, yes. How could I forget the Gym Leader that’s caught your eye?” Her mother smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki felt her face traitorously heat up, and hid it in her hands. “M-Mom! Not you too! I already get enough teasing from Hop and Marnie!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She chuckled. “It’s not too surprising that you’d be drawn to another Dragon-type Trainer. And he’s quite the good-looking young man too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom!” Kiyuki protested. Her face flamed even more as her mother just laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well what mother doesn’t tease her daughter about boys?” She smirked. “I’m glad to see you making friends here, regardless.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Friends… </span>
  </em>
  <span>That was still a new idea for Kiyuki. Back home… she spent nearly all of her time with her family. Her cousins were her friends, and she stuck with them even at school. It was a big change to go to a region where she had no family, but even she was surprised at just how close she had become with Hop and Marnie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Could she really leave them behind? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, I have to go back to Hoenn, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki reassured herself.</span>
  <em>
    <span> In time… I’m sure they’ll forget me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know that you’re aware that I don’t necessarily agree with you doing this…” Her mother muttered. “But promise me you’ll stay safe. It would break my heart to lose you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise,” Kiyuki whispered, holding her mother’s gaze until the anxiety written on her face softened somewhat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. “That’s probably those two returning from getting cupcakes,” her mother said, rising to her feet. “Maybe don’t show them the Mega Stones though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t planning on it,” Kiyuki admitted. She snapped the box shut again and shoved it under her pillow, before opening the front-facing camera on her phone to make sure her eyes weren’t red. “I’ll see you later then. Love you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love you too,” her mother replied, bringing a hand to the top of Kiyuki’s head and gently messing with her hair a little. Like she used to do when Kiyuki was younger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave one more smile before disappearing around the corner. The door creaked open, before the sound was replaced with Hop’s excited chattering. Marnie poked her head around the corner, holding Morpeko in her arms, and shifted her hand to wave at Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop appeared a second later. “Hey, Kiyuki! You should’ve seen how many cupcakes were at that bakery! We got you a Galarian speciality, an Earl Grey Tea cupcake with lavender frosting!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did tell ‘im that we should get you somethin’ a little less radical, like chocolate, but he insisted,” Marnie drily commented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but Kiyuki’s most definitely eaten chocolate cupcakes before! I wanted to get her something she hasn’t tried!” Hop grinned at Marnie, before stepping closer and passing Kiyuki a white cardboard box, emblazoned with the bakery’s logo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me,” Kiyuki laughed. She took a moment to admire the delicate swirling of the frosting, piped to look like lavender flowers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what did your Mum want to talk to you about?” Hop asked. He plunked himself down on the edge of the bed and opened another identical cardboard box. The cupcake he pulled out had a pile of white frosting on a red-coloured cake, presumably red velvet. Marnie, predictably, had gotten herself a chocolate cupcake, and was passing a corner of it to Morpeko. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… Um… Nothing really. Just family stuff,” Kiyuki muttered. She took a big bite of her cupcake to avoid having to say anything else. The cupcake had a pleasant floral taste to it, but it wasn’t so overpowering that it tasted like soap. And just the right amount of sweetness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this is delicious!” Kiyuki exclaimed once she had swallowed what was in her mouth. Fortunately, Hop seemed to have his mouth too full of cupcake to drill her any further on her conversation with her mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good to know!” He grinned once he had swallowed. “I almost forgot! Who won the baking show?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The guy from Sinnoh, just like Marnie and I said.” Kiyuki grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Arceus, damn it!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Bonus points if anyone can guess which TV show I'm referring to with the shipwrecks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Leon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I had a bad case of writer's block with this one for sure, and spent more time writing a few scenes in Part 2 instead of this one. But now I've got something I'm relatively satisfied with. </p><p>I was hoping to finish Part 1 before I school starts, since I'm going into my last year of university and it's going to be hella crazy. Might not be done before then (since school starts in a week), but hopefully before my life gets too insane.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiyuki sucked in another deep breath as she stared up at the flower-like design of Wyndon Stadium. Crowds were still lined up out of the door, waiting to take their seats to see the match that was now almost two weeks overdue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Kiyuki had done nothing in that time except sit on the bed and watch TV with Hop and Marnie. But the pain in her ankle had vanished, and it no longer ached when she tried to walk on it. Leon had recovered completely as well. And based on what Hop was telling her, he was itching to get back on the battlefield. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey… Kiyuki? You all right?” Hop asked, lightly tapping her on the shoulder with his fingertips. Dubwool was standing next to him and watching the crowds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine,” Kiyuki replied. She took another sip of her tea, hoping that the morning brain fog would disappear sooner than later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll do great, mate! Although I’m still not sure if I should be cheering for you or Lee… It’s hard to pick to a side,” he added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But before Kiyuki could answer him, Dubwool beat her to it. Hop glanced down at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You reckon I should cheer for Kiyuki too, huh? I agree… We did start this together back in Postwick, after all.” Hop grinned at her, and she returned a smile of her own. It helped to dissipate her nerves just a tiny bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Hop… I really appreciate it. Really… I’ve never had a friend like you before,” Kiyuki commented. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll miss you when I’m gone, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought to herself, but didn’t say it out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hop’s grin widened. “Me neither, to be honest. You’re my best mate, even though I only met you a few months ago! I guess that’s a little weird, isn’t it?” He brought his hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all!” Kiyuki smiled, and Hop dropped his hand. His smile widened, before his eyes seemed to catch on something behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Challenger Kiyuki? We’re here to escort you to the Stadium.” Kiyuki turned to find two League staff waiting for her, their arms folded behind their backs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded and stepped towards them. She quickly downed the rest of her tea and tossed the cup into a nearby trash can.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You better beat Lee, you hear me, Kiyuki?” Hop called after her, and she glanced back at him over her shoulder. “If anyone can beat the unbeatable Champion, it’s you, mate!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki smiled back at him, before he disappeared into the crowds. The League staff guided her through as the spectators seemed to notice she was there. They cheered for her, smiling and waving as she made her way through. The sound both filled her with confidence and made her nerves even more frazzled, leaving her stomach twisting and her hands shaking. She swallowed and pressed her hands to her legs to still them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The staff led her to a side entrance instead of pushing through the crowds to reach the main doors. One of them swiped a key card through the lock, and the deadbolt snapped open. They guided her through a series of hallways, eventually reaching the changing room where they left her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki’s mind was numb as she changed out of her T-shirt and capris, slipping into her uniform for the last time. She pulled on the socks, then laced up her shoes, doing them up tighter than usual so they wouldn’t come undone during the match. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing she pulled on was the glove that covered the palm and three of the fingers of her right hand. She checked herself over in the mirror, making sure her hair wasn’t too unkempt or that nothing was on backwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But everything was in order. Kiyuki shoved her backpack into the locker and left the changing room, keeping only her phone and water bottle with her. She headed back down the hallway to the elevator and stepped inside. Her nerves still simmered. She knew this would be the hardest battle she’s ever had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, the doors slid open. But the last time she was down here, the locker room was full of Gym Leaders. Now it was empty, with her being the last challenger standing. The only sounds were the music sounding from the Stadium, and the low murmur of the crowds that carried through the sliding doors between her and the pitch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The scene on the TV told her that she still had a few minutes before the match began. People were still filing into their seats, and the Stadium was becoming increasingly packed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki thumbed at the Pokéballs attached to her belt. She let her team out one by one. Nimbus, Flicker, Hallow, Hylla, Sacha, and Cornelius. They all made various chirps and hisses and gathered around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right… This is it, I guess,” Kiyuki started. “No matter what happens, I’m still so proud of you all. We’ve all come so far… I wouldn’t have missed meeting you guys for almost anything, but this is just the beginning for us. I’m going to need all of you for when I go back to Hoenn…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “I’ve waited five months for revenge. I know that none of you besides Nimbus ever knew my father, but I’m sure he would’ve loved you all. I… I hope I can count on you for whatever the future brings for us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus was the first to respond, humming a string of notes. Cornelius squawked, opening his wings and nearly smacking Sacha in the face. She gave a surprised gurgle, but still smiled at Kiyuki while waggling her horns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker let out a hissing giggle, twirling around in place as a few flames danced around him. Hallow giggled as well, bouncing up and down and bringing her claws out to slash at the air. Hylla hissed, spitting a small plume of sand into the air that rained down on Kiyuki’s head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned at her team, at how excited they were for the battle. “Let’s do this then!” She cheered. “We are going in blind though. I don’t know any of Leon’s Pokémon besides Charizard, so we’ll have to be ready for anything. Hylla, I’ve got to keep you in the back for sure. You’re the best shot we’ve got against Charizard, and I can’t have you get hurt. I’ll have you go first, Flicker. You’re fast and strong enough to deal with whatever comes out first, I’m sure!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hylla and Flicker both gave her a signal, confirming what she had said. Kiyuki flicked her eyes back up to the TV. The seats were now completely full, a sure sign the match was about to begin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right then. Here we go,” Kiyuki said. She pulled all her Pokémon back into their balls and clipped them back to her belt. She arranged them so that Flicker would be first, but left the rest of her team in a random order. The moment she finished, the doors to the Stadium slid open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Challenger Kiyuki, we’re ready to begin the Championship match,” the League staff said. Kiyuki nodded, and took another deep breath before standing and following the staff to the doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He walked alongside her through the tunnel, and motioned her to stop right at the edge. The noise of the crowd was still a steady roar, but it spiked when the voice of the commentator came on, going through the introductions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a signal from the staff, Kiyuki quickly wiped her sweaty hands off on her shorts. She drew in another breath, and stepped forward into the brilliantly bright Stadium lights. She kept her back straight and tried to look confident as she strode forward. The noise of the crowd pressed down on her, cheering for her, and also for Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Speaking of, Leon had just appeared out of the other tunnel and was making his way towards the centre of the pitch. Kiyuki met him there, and he shot her a grin before glancing around the crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look at this. My matches are always sold out, but this… I’ve never seen a crowd this wild!” He said, having to raise his voice so Kiyuki could hear him. Even though he was only a couple metres away from her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He continued. “Everyone knows what you did for us last week, Kiyuki… They know you’re the one who caught Eternatus and saved the future of Galar. A real hero, who battled alongside the Legendary Pokémon, Zacian and Zamazenta… And they know that you risked your life to defend a region that you aren’t even from.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was just as much Hop as it was me,” Kiyuki reminded him. “Don’t give me all the credit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I know,” he smiled. “I always hoped that it would be one of you two facing me in battle. And I couldn’t have dreamed of a better challenger to help increase my winning streak! So come on, Kiyuki! Let’s make this a final match that’ll go down in Galar’s history!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The smile on his face morphed into a much different expression. More resolute, determined, obvious that he was going to throw everything he had at her. “No! A match that’ll change Galar forever! We’re gonna have an absolutely champion time!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He finished by striking his signature pose. Despite her nerves, Kiyuki found his excitement to be contagious, and found herself smiling as Leon dropped his arm. The crowd roared, the noise coming near deafening as he shot Kiyuki another smile and spun around on his heel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grabbed Flicker’s ball from her belt as she walked to the battling lines. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is it… I don’t know how this will end, but I’ll see what fate has in store for me today. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One thing she knew for sure, was that she wasn’t going to make it easy for Leon to keep his title. More fun that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon was clearly raring to go, rolling his shoulders and his wrist as the roaring of the crowd remained at a consistent level. He tapped his face with the palm of his hands a few times, the same way that Hop did when Kiyuki had faced him in their final battle during the semifinals. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood still for a moment, before throwing his cape behind him and tossing out his first Pokémon in one fluid motion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An Aegislash appeared on the field in front of him. It crossed its arms behind itself, brandishing the shield at Kiyuki just as she clicked Flicker’s ball open. She was incredibly glad that she had decided to lead with the Chandelure. He was a perfect counter to this Aegislash. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s one of the duties of the Champion to get the crowd fired up!” Leon yelled from across the field. And the crowd was certainly fired up, Kiyuki noted. She could barely hear him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, the best way to start would probably be how she usually did against any physical attacker. “Will-o-Wisp, Flicker!” Kiyuki called. Just as the purple flames broke off, Aegislash’s shield took on a slight blue glow that spread out to the sides. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>King’s Shield… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki realized. But Flicker’s Will-o-Wisp passed straight through the barrier anyways, and the flames landed, leaving scorch marks on the metal. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, that’s right! It doesn’t block status moves! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To her surprise, Leon didn’t look at all concerned. The same focused half-smile remained as he gave his commands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Follow it up with a Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki called, feeling her confidence growing. Flicker countered this Aegislash perfectly, so this should be an easy knock out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or it should’ve been. Kiyuki’s mind froze when Aegislash switched forms, moving its shield to the side to expose the wickedly sharp blade. Then it moved, slicing through Flicker’s Shadow Ball and causing the energy to dissipate into the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her gut wrenched when Aegislash followed up with a Shadow Ball of its own, and she swore under her breath. That’s why Leon wasn’t concerned about the burn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch out!” She yelled, now cursing herself for not even entertaining the possibility that this Aegislash could’ve been a special attacker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the Shadow Ball was much faster than Kiyuki was expecting. Flicker spun to the left, trying to weave around the attack, but it clipped him anyways in one of his arms. He shrieked as the force of the energy pushed him back, and he collapsed to the ground. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flicker!” Kiyuki shouted. The noise of the crowd rose again, sensing the first knockout of the match. But Flicker’s flames hadn’t gone out. If anything, they were brighter, and were now shooting off embers and sparks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned when Flicker pulled himself back up, extremely battered, but still able to fight. He hissed and swirled his arms around, the motion shooting off more embers that glowed purple, blue, green, and even red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I knew you wouldn’t go down that easy, Flicker… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Leon’s eyes widened momentarily as Aegislash shifted around nervously, starting to bring its shield back in front of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not this time! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Trap it! Don’t let it back into shield form!” Kiyuki called. Flicker hissed again as he sent the small flames at Aegislash, twisting the multicoloured fire into a swirling pillar that engulfed Aegislash. It struggled as the flames surrounded it, but eventually collapsed forward and froze in place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now! Finish it with another Shadow Ball!” Kiyuki grinned. She had no idea how Flicker was doing this, or why the fire was changing colour, but she liked it. The Chandelure giggled as he formed another Shadow Ball in front of him. He passed it to the arm that wasn’t controlling the flames and flung it at the trapped Aegislash. The attack sent it blasting back, and it skidded to a stop in front of Leon before falling motionless to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The crowd roared as Leon recalled the downed Aegislash. Surprised murmurs broke through the cheering, seemingly shocked that the first Pokémon defeated was Leon’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A supereffective hit… I’d expect nothing less from you!” Leon called, and Kiyuki grinned back at him. Now she was one Pokémon ahead of him. A good spot to be in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon’s next Pokémon was one that Kiyuki had never seen in person. But she knew it anyways. A Dragapult. It hissed as it hovered in the air, staring her down as its transparent tail-tip gently waggled back and forth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Woah… It’s so cool! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It almost made her regret not even attempting to find one when she was looking for the last member of her team. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki snapped herself out of her daydreaming when Dragapult flung a Shadow Ball at Flicker, much faster than she could’ve imagined. She cursed herself for getting distracted, and quickly commanded Flicker to dodge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus… It’s so fast!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flicker only managed to narrowly dodge the incoming attack. The crackling energy ball tore into the pitch instead, spitting up pieces of grass and dirt as it carved a crater right where Flicker was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And strong… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki called for another Shadow Ball from Flicker. But Dragapult just shot up into the air, easily avoiding the attack. It kept zipping around the battlefield, doing a loop before coming into a stop high above Leon’s head. It hissed and shot another Shadow Ball at Flicker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Try trapping the Shadow Ball! Like what Allister did against us!” Kiyuki yelled. Her hopes rose as Flicker’s small flames broke off from the embers and coalesced in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they were crushed a second later when the Shadow Ball passed straight through the fire and slammed into Flicker. He shrieked as he was tossed back again, but was unable to take Dragapult’s attack after already getting hit by Aegislash. His fire dimmed and returned to its usual ghostly purple as he collapsed to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grimaced as she pulled the downed Chandelure back into his ball. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not good. We’ll have to work on that. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She thought for a second about who to send out next. Dragapult was much faster than Kiyuki could’ve imagined, and now she had lost her lead. She couldn’t match Dragapult’s speed, but there might be another way around it… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were shadows all over the pitch, cast by the structure of the Stadium.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki grabbed the single Dusk Ball from her belt, clicking it open to let Hallow out. She instantly chirped and brandished her claws at Leon and Dragapult, before glancing back at Kiyuki. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right… We’re going to have to do this carefully. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Swords Dance, Hallow! And be ready to dodge!” She called. Another crackle of energy told Kiyuki that Dragapult had attacked again, and the Shadow Ball cut into the pitch as Hallow leapt back. She raised her attack the moment she landed, and crouched down in preparation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now! Shadow Sneak!” Kiyuki yelled. Hallow chirped in response before melting into the shadows. Dragapult hissed and spun around on the spot, trying to spot the Mimikyu, but Hallow emerged from behind it. She slashed at it and disappeared again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep it up, Hallow!” Kiyuki called. “Keep moving!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a snarl, Dragapult’s mouth began to glow. It released a burst of fire that swept over the grass, torching the top layer. And torching away the shadows. Kiyuki grimaced when Hallow was forced back into the open. The flames surrounded her completely, and she shrieked as she was blasted back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hallow!” Kiyuki yelled. But the Mimikyu managed to land upright, and dug her claws into the dirt to slow her skid. The head of her rag fell to the side just as she came to a stop at Kiyuki’s feet, but she was still standing and able to fight. Kiyuki relaxed her shoulders a little and narrowed her eyes at Leon’s Dragapult, which was still hovering above the battlefield and waiting for her move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was hunched over ever so slightly though. Hallow’s Shadow Sneak had clearly taken a toll on it, so much that another one would probably knock it out. All she had to do was land the hit. Easier said than done, but the remnants of Dragapult’s Flamethrower had now smouldered out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, let’s try this again. Stay in the shadows and keep moving. Dragapult’s probably going to try and Shadow Ball you, but I know you can dodge those. Just be ready to use Shadow Sneak when I give the signal,” Kiyuki commanded. Hallow chirped in response, still crouched low with her claws out to the sides. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go!” Kiyuki yelled, extending her hand forwards. Hallow instantly leapt for the nearest shadow and flickered out of view, just as the noise of the crowd started to pick up. Dragapult instantly formed a Shadow Ball in front of it and flung it towards where Hallow was hiding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki shouted a warning, but Hallow had already reappeared a safe distance away from the attack. She disappeared again, and Dragapult retaliated with another attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second Shadow Ball tore into the pitch just as the first one did, its target already long gone. Dragapult stared at the ground, floating uneasily backwards while it tried to locate the hidden Mimikyu. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The third, and the fourth Shadow Ball met a similar end. It was only when Dragapult had nearly backed up to the edge, did it change its strategy. And Kiyuki knew Hallow was in striking range. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grinned when Dragapult’s maw took on an orange glow as it readied another Flamethrower. “Now! Jump!” She yelled. Dragapult didn’t fan out the Flamethrower like before, and it passed harmlessly beneath Hallow when she leapt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shadow Sneak now!” Kiyuki commanded, still watching intently for Dragapult’s next move. Its only response was to shoot another Shadow Ball at Hallow, but she was already diving towards the ground and it passed overhead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She disappeared back into the shadows, then reappeared a moment later. Sharpened claws raked across Dragapult’s back, and it let out a hissing roar as it reeled from the hit. It slumped forwards and crashed onto the smouldering pitch, finally knocked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki grinned while Hallow returned to her side of the field, and Leon recalled the defeated Dragapult. The crowd roared again, but the small smile on Leon’s face, present for the entire battle, was still there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His next Pokemon appeared with a roar that matched the crowd. Although Kiyuki certainly wasn’t anticipating him to counter Hallow with another Dragon-type. Haxorus narrowed its eyes down at the Mimikyu, snarling at her as it readied itself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But if Leon was bringing it out, that could only mean it had some way to counter Hallow. Maybe a Poison-type, or a Steel-type attack? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shadow Sneak,” Kiyuki commanded, still keeping a wary eye on the Haxorus. Hallow disappeared back into the shadows, making her way towards her opponent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She swore under her breath when Haxorus brought a clawed foot up, then slammed it down onto the pitch. Earthquake ripped through the ground, knocking Hallow out of the shadows and causing Kiyuki to stumble as well. She flailed her arms to regain her balance, and her eyes widened when Haxorus was already bearing down on Hallow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Play Rough before it can hit you!” She desperately yelled to the dazed Mimikyu. And swore again when Haxorus’ tail swung around with Iron Tail, the scales taking on a metallic sheen before it rammed into her. Hallow was tossed back to Kiyuki’s feet with a cry, and didn’t get up from where she fell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki gritted her teeth as the crowd cheered again, grabbing Hallow’s Ball from her belt and returning her. She studied the Haxorus for an extra moment, running through her team in her head, before reaching for Sacha’s Ultra Ball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While she certainly wasn’t quite as intimidating as her opponent, Sacha still reared to her full height with a roar of her own. Haxorus snarled and immediately went for an attack, charging across the field. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Outrage. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Stand your ground, Sacha! Wait for my signal!” Kiyuki called. Sacha complied, watching the Haxorus thundering across the field towards her, but not even flinching. Each footstep sent small tremors through the ground, but not enough to cause either her or Sacha to wobble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She waited until Haxorus reared its head back, ready to slash at Sacha with its tusks. “Now! Hit it with your tail and follow up with a Dragon Pulse!” Kiyuki yelled. If this didn’t work, Sacha would be knocked out for sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the Goodra roared again as she pivoted on the spot. Her tail slammed into the incoming Haxorus, stopping its momentum completely before eventually forcing it back. It stumbled from the hit, and snarled when Sacha’s Dragon Pulse connected. The force pushed it back further, its claws tearing strips into the pitch until the energy faded. But not enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Haxorus quickly shook off the attack much faster than Kiyuki was expecting. It lunged at Sacha again before she could react, barreling into her with a second Outrage. Sacha shrieked from the impact, stumbling backwards, before wobbling on her feet and collapsing forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sacha!” Kiyuki screamed, just as she crashed to the ground. Haxorus’ triumphant roar cut into her ears, but Sacha still didn’t get back up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus, no… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mind reeled from the noise. The sounds of Haxorus and the crowds threatened to tear down the confidence she had gained from defeating Aegislash and Dragapult, but this Haxorus was proving to be a far stronger foe. Kiyuki numbly recalled the downed Goodra, clipping her Ball back to her belt and staring down at her three remaining Pokémon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus… This is not good. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man, that Haxorus gave me so much trouble in my playthrough. Absolutely murdered my poor Alcremie and Flapple.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Watershed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm still alive! Really did not intend to have no updates since September! Really sorry about that. University happened, you know? And also terribly sorry for leaving the battle again Leon half-finished before I disappeared. </p><p>Happy New Year! I'm very glad to be putting an end to the dumpster fire of 2020.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiyuki gritted her teeth as she tried to stay focused on the battle. Haxorus’ snarling and the cheering of the crowd cut into her ears, and her nerves slowly started to fizzle into consciousness once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was slipping. She was losing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, come on. Focus. He’s just one Pokémon ahead, it’s not all lost. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kiyuki reprimanded herself, before shutting out the noise to try and analyze the battle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Haxorus had taken a good amount of damage from Sacha’s Dragon Pulse, but it was still standing and relatively unfazed. But Outrage wasn’t an easy move for a Pokémon to snap out of, and it often left them exhausted at the end. Hallow would’ve been the best to bring in, but Haxorus had already knocked her out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki initially brought her hand to Nimbus’ Ultra Ball, but then thought better and moved it to Cornelius’ Ball instead. The dark Corviknight appeared in front of her, spreading his wings open as he landed. He squawked once at Haxorus, who just stomped a foot and roared at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just as she predicted, Haxorus was still stuck in Outrage and immediately launched itself at Cornelius. “Fly!” She yelled, and couldn’t help but hold her breath as the Corviknight took off. But she released it when he managed to get high enough into the air, and Haxorus barrelled harmlessly beneath him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Haxorus snarled as it came skidding to a halt. It thrashed its head around for a moment, before slumping forward slightly. It was barely noticeable, but enough of an opening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now! Drill Peck!” Kiyuki called. Cornelius immediately looped back in response, spinning once before his attack connected with the confused and exhausted Haxorus. The impact knocked it to the ground, where it stayed still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It disappeared in a flash of red light when Leon pulled it back into its Ball. The crowd cheered even louder than before, sensing that the match was tied once again. Kiyuki took another deep breath, keeping her nerves at bay while Cornelius landed on the shredded pitch in front of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tapping feet accompanied the flash of light that came with Leon’s next Pokémon, along with a patch of ice that slowly crept outwards. A Mr. Rime. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Another one? Really? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Melony’s Mr. Rime had been relatively easy for Flicker to take down. Leon’s would certainly be using different strategies, but Cornelius still held a type advantage. Yet… the situation was similar to Leon bringing Haxorus out against Hallow. This Mr. Rime had a trick up its sleeve. Or hat. Seeing as it didn’t have sleeves.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She instantly suspected something was up when Mr. Rime tapped its feet in an increasingly frenzied rhythm, and started to spin on the spot. It was making her dizzy just watching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… No… Teeter Dance! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Ah! Cornelius! Iron Head before it finishes the dance!” Kiyuki commanded, shaking her head to clear the dizziness. Cornelius had started to bob his head up and down as well, but he took off into the air anyways, a clear sign that he had heard her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He dove at Mr. Rime a moment later, breaking it out of Teeter Dance. But it was surprisingly unfazed by the impact of the supereffective Iron Head. It had clearly taken a solid hit, but it stayed on its feet and slid back on the layer of ice. It twirled its cane around in its hand, its eyes starting to glow just as Cornelius started to pull away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki’s breath caught in her throat when a crackling bolt of electricity came out instead of the Psychic that she was expecting. The bolt slammed into Cornelius, arcing across his feathers as his wings locked up. He squawked as he crashed to the ground, carving another gouge into the already-torn terrain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cornelius!” She yelled, but he was already struggling back into the air and shaking his feathers out as the dust dissipated. The electricity that still sparked on the metal slowly disappeared as well, smothered by the fine layer of dirt that clung to his feathers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s alright… But he won’t be able to take another one of those. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Mr. Rime’s eyes were already starting to glow again, ready to follow up with a second Thunderbolt. Kiyuki wracked her brain for some way around this attack, running through her past battles, before pausing when one came to mind. Except instead of a stadium, it was a cave illuminated by glowing stones. And the opponent was a Gothita.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, then. I have an idea. Fly as fast as you can towards it, and stay close to the ground. Wait for my signal,” Kiyuki commanded, making eye contact with Cornelius. He stared back at her, completely trusting, before he tucked in his wings and spiralled towards his opponent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki waited. Cornelius kept his speed up, skimming along the pitch. She waited, until Mr. Rime raised its cane up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now! Use your feet and skid along the ground! Remember our first battle against Bede!” She yelled, praying to Arceus that this would work. Amazingly, Cornelius immediately responded, angling his wings like before and dropping his feet to the ground. Just as Mr. Rime released the Thunderbolt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cornelius’ talons scraped along the dirt, his momentum still carrying him forward towards the bolt of electricity. But the cloud of dust and dirt billowed up, dislodged from the damaged terrain, and separated Cornelius from Mr. Rime. The Thunderbolt slammed into the cloud instead of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the electricity dissipated entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Follow up with Iron Head!” Kiyuki called, and couldn’t help but grin as Cornelius flipped up above over the dust cloud, before spiralling down and ramming into Mr. Rime before it could counterattack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It screeched as it went skidding back across its ice again. Once more, it wobbled on its feet, and fell over backwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cheering and singing of the crowd became deafening. Leon recalled the downed Mr. Rime, a look of shock briefly flashing across his face. It disappeared a moment later, replaced with determination and intent focus before his smile returned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Impressive!” He called to her, before grabbing his next Pokémon and throwing it out in a burst of light. A crash and a plume of dirt accompanied its appearance, and the sound of heavy, shifting boulders. A Rhyperior. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It slammed its fists against the ground, drawing up several jagged rock pillars around it. They shot up towards the sky, rumbling through the terrain before tearing out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rhyperior summoned more and more rocks, surrounding itself before pushing them towards Cornelius, who was hovering carefully above the battlefield. A jolt ran up Kiyuki’s spine when another rumble pressed against her feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Move!” She yelled to Cornelius. He ducked to the side, his wingbeats blowing the dust off the Stone Edge that had just jutted into the exact spot where he was moments ago. Rhyperior’s roar sounded from within the fortress of rocks, a challenge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cornelius squawked back at it before glancing over his shoulder at Kiyuki. She smiled at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Show it what you’ve got. How far you’ve come from the Rookidee on Route 1. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Cornelius had a huge type advantage here. However, Leon would know that. He would surely have something to counter the Corviknight. All that was left to do was to draw out whatever he had planned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rhyperior roared again, the sound emanating from the centre of the rock fortress. That’s where it was. Another rumble in the ground warned Kiyuki of another impending Stone Edge, but how sturdy was its fortress anyways? She stifled a smile as a plan came into focus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were no panicked, jerky movements from Cornelius as the Stone Edge jutted out towards him. “Iron Head now!” Kiyuki yelled, watching the Corviknight dive down as his head took on a metallic sheen. He hit the Stone Edge with a deafening crack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And pulverized it to pieces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Again!” Kiyuki called, pointing towards the centre of the fortress where she knew Rhyperior was. Cornelius briefly looped up to regain some speed, and it was more than enough to obliterate a path through Rhyperior’s defences. Kiyuki squinted through the rising cloud of dust. And while she wasn’t able to see it, Rhyperior’s roar was enough of a confirmation that the Iron Head had found its target. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But what came next was a blast of heat and a squawk. “Cornelius, get out of there!” Kiyuki yelled, but no dark shapes emerged from the dust. All that was different was a jagged pillar of rock that was not there before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When it finally settled, Cornelius was down. A shed feather lay next to him, the near-molten red glow just now starting to fade. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It had a Fire-type attack. And was waiting for Cornelius to come to it. It must’ve trapped him with a Stone Edge. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did great Cornelius,” Kiyuki whispered once she pulled the defeated Corviknight back into his Ball. And he had. Leon had lost his lead on her, but it still wasn’t over. Nor was it time for Hylla to come out yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki reached for her only other Pokémon that was still able to fight, and sent her out with a burst of light. Nimbus hummed and unfurled her wings, sizing up her opponent. A glint of light at her wrist caught in Kiyuki’s peripheral vision, the lights from the Stadium catching on the Key Stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could use it. Bring the battle easily into her favour. Rhyperior would lose its type advantage against the Altaria, and it would quickly fall to the power of a Mega Evolution. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No… That’s not the way to do this. I’ll either win this fair and square or not at all. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She pushed those thoughts out of her head and settled on a different course of action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dragon Pulse,” Kiyuki quickly commanded. It was a risky move, but the move still slammed into the surprised Rhyperior, catching it unaware before it could even react. It recovered from the shock far too soon and the ground rumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right!” Kiyuki yelled. Nimbus floated to the side as the Stone Edge took her place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She called for another Dragon Pulse. Rhyperior was clearly ready this time, and a pillar of stone rose up between them to block it. The beam of energy faded into the rock, leaving only a scorched crater as any sign it was there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the same rock was now blocking any chance for Nimbus to get a clear shot. And evidently a Dragon Pulse wasn’t going to do anything about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nimbus, fly close to that rock and Hyper Voice,” Kiyuki called. “And stay alert!” Arceus, if this didn’t work, then she was fresh out of ideas. How long had this battle been going on? It felt like forever. Another rumble from an impending Stone Edge reminded Kiyuki of just how sore her feet were from standing here for Arceus knows how long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus’ shrill song snapped Kiyuki out of her silent laments about her sore feet. The Hyper Voice slammed into the rock, and promptly crushed it into dust and shards. Gravity pulled the fragments down and they sent more dust billowing into the air as they landed. The rumbling under her feet had intensified. Kiyuki quickly commanded Nimbus to back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the Stone Edge appeared, coupled with Rhyperior’s roar, it sliced through the air a good few metres from where Nimbus was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Up! Then Dragon Pulse!” Kiyuki yelled, raising her hand up to emphasize the motion. They had their opening, and Nimbus took it. She flipped up over the dissipating dust, and launched her attack straight downwards into the centre of what remained of Rhyperior’s rock fortress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Altaria circled back over the battlefield, coming to rest in front of Kiyuki until the rest of the dust settled. When it did, Rhyperior was down for the count. Kiyuki let herself release a sigh of relief, which quickly got drowned out by the noise of the crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not finished having a champion time here!” Leon’s shout was still distinguishable once the crowd slightly died down. Kiyuki lifted her head to meet his gaze, which was still unwavering and intently focused. “And I won’t let anyone else finish it for me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anyone else? Who… Oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Leon lifted his final Ultra Ball above his head, and briefly flashed her a smile as he threw it in front of him. Charizard immediately took to the air. It wove through the remaining rock pillars that still jutted out of the battlefield until it eventually looped back to Leon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s time, Nimbus. I might still need you, so get some rest,” Kiyuki replied. She pulled the cloud dragon back into her Ball, finally switching her out for Hylla. She immediately assumed her typical coiling pattern that was so characteristic of a Sandaconda, and spat a small plume of sand in Charizard’s general direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charizard roared in response. Kiyuki caught Leon’s gaze again. “And I’ll show you what Charizard can really do!” He yelled, tossing Charizard’s empty Ultra Ball once in the air and catching it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki knew what happened next, but that didn’t prevent her heart from thudding in her ears. Charizard disappeared in a flash of light, and the Ultra Ball became a Dynamax Ball as Leon activated his Dynamax band. The Ball threw off sparks of the signature red energy until Leon lobbed it behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charizard crushed what remained of Rhyperior’s rock fortress when it reached its full size. Its wings had disappeared, replaced by fire that stretched out in their place. Its mouth glowed a fiery orange from the inside, that leaked out to the side into a flame. Even though it was still a good distance away from her, the heat it gave off still washed over Kiyuki. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was huge and imposing. And determined. Leon may be down to his last Pokémon, but he was the Champion for a reason. Him and Charizard were both going to give it their all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But so was she. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Hylla,” Kiyuki said, more so to herself. She pulled the Sandaconda back into her Ball, balancing it in her right hand while she activated her Dynamax band. Then swinging her left hand around to grab the Ball in both hands, she threw it as hard she could behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hylla grew to her full size, taking on the shape of a tornado. Kiyuki turned back around towards Leon right as she landed with a crash and a hiss that echoed around the Stadium. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’d bring out your Sandaconda!” Leon yelled. “But you won’t defeat Charizard that easily! Max Overgrowth!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. What? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No way. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of a fiery attack, Charizard surrounded itself with a green glow instead. A barrage of gigantic seeds flew at Hylla, bursting to life in the form of mushshrooms and plants where they landed. Hylla hissed as the supereffective attack connected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But there was no fiery burst that followed the plants. A sandstorm swirled to life instead, with powerful wind driving the grains into Kiyuki’s exposed skin on her legs and face. Somehow, Hylla was fine. She had survived the Max Overgrowth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki quickly caught Leon’s confident expression morphing into one of surprise, before he became obscured by the sand. The storm wasn’t nearly as intense as the one during her battle with Raihan, as she could still see Charizard perfectly fine. Although that one was the two of them combined after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Focus. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Now! Let’s finish this!” Kiyuki yelled, snapping herself back to the battle at hand. They had their opening. It was now or never. “Max Rockfall!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hylla’s responding hiss signalled that she had heard the command, and the sand coalesced into a massive boulder that was closer to a small mountain. She let it fall towards Charizard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charizard disappeared underneath the rock and the sandstorm. It let out a shrieking roar when the attack connected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Followed by a burst of fire. One that was not whatever its G-max move was called. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It roared again while it returned to its normal size, defeated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The reality only sunk in when Hylla shrunk as well, and the stinging of the sandstorm vanished with her. The crowd erupted. It was over. And she wasn’t on the side of the battle she expected to be on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She won. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She won. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But… how? How… How is that… possible? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon surely had another Pokémon, right? There was no way Charizard was his last. But he only briefly met Kiyuki’s gaze before he pulled the brim of his hat down over his eyes, obscuring the look of shock that had just been there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But… was that a smile? It was, and he tossed his hat high in the air, turning to face the crowd as he did. The cameras focused in on him, and Kiyuki was grateful for him taking some of the attention off her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I won… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My time as Champion is over… But what a champion time it’s been!” He yelled. The microphones picked up his voice, projecting it so the whole crowd could hear his words. “Thank you for the greatest battle I’ve ever had!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki just watched him, still not having a clue of what to say, until he turned back towards her. He still held Charizard’s Ultra Ball in his hand, even though the Pokémon inside was defeated. She numbly pulled Hylla back into her Ball and urged her feet forward, meeting Leon back in the centre of the pitch. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I won… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations, Kiyuki!” He called, still having to raise his voice to be able to be heard over the crowd. “You’ve beat even the unbeatable Champion - making you the new Champion of Galar!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Champion. She was the Champion now. It seemed impossible, but everything around her was telling her it was true. Leon, the crowd, the Stadium… it was real. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve become a first rate Trainer, all right,” Leon added. “I offer you my heartfelt congratulations, and I couldn’t imagine a better successor to the title of Champion!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the cameras whirred closer to her after he said that, and she forced herself to smile. Even though her mind was still reeling from what was happening. The roar of the crowd still washed over her, but it sounded muted now. The Stadium floodlights were almost too bright. And was Leon suddenly closer to her? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now that you’ve grown so strong, perhaps it is time I start looking ahead myself. It’s time us adults started working on improving the here and now, for the sake of all that’s to come!” He said, taking another step closer and placing a hand on her shoulder as he did. The sudden contact surprised her, but she still found herself smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can help with that too, you know,” she replied, finally breaking her silence. “You don’t have to do that alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon just smiled at her in response. “I’ll keep it in mind. What you ought to do now is just keep believing in yourself and in your Pokémon, and keep blasting on ahead! That’s what you can do to create that bright future we all hope to see!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki nodded in response, and Leon dropped his hand from her shoulder. He turned to stand beside her, and faced the crowd instead. “People of Galar!” He called, just as one of the cameras flew closer to pick up his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here you have it! A new legend born right before your eyes!” Kiyuki straightened her back, still making sure she was smiling for the cameras. The screens around the Stadium became filled with her face as they panned from Leon to her. “Your Champion, Kiyuki!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki drew in another deep breath while the crowd cheered, but now they were cheering for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bet you can’t wait to see what kind of future a kid with this kind of strength might bring about!” Leon continued over the crowd. Kiyuki jumped when he suddenly grabbed her hand, raising it up in the air. “I know I sure can’t! Let’s watch and see what she can do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A future… A future here, in Galar. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The roar of the crowd pressed down on her, followed by the snapping explosion of fireworks. She didn’t know what to think of all this, and her stomach both buzzed and churned. Her heartbeat kept pounding in her ears, still not letting up while her gaze swept the crowd. She could’ve sworn she saw her mother, Marnie, Hop, and the Gym Leaders, and focused on them.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Could I actually have a future here? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>If she was being honest, Kiyuki was still trying to process what exactly had happened when that Pokémon band took the pitch, finally allowing her to get a moment of silence in the locker room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She beat Leon. The unbeatable Champion was defeated. By her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was the new Champion of Galar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But how… How did this happen? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She never thought she could win. Losing in the championship battle would’ve been disappointing for sure, but she would’ve gotten over it. All the attention would still be on Leon, which would’ve allowed her to easily slip away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her flight was still booked for tomorrow. There was enough time to fly Cornelius back to Postwick, pack, and get back to Wyndon tomorrow. No one would be any wiser if she stayed off the taxis and out of sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Having won though… that made everything far more difficult. Now people would notice if she disappeared. But for how long? It would be fine… Leon would remain the Champion, and Galar would forget about her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon’s words after the battle kept bouncing in her head, about a future in Galar. Numbly, Kiyuki pulled her phone out of her pocket and swiped through her web browser. She pulled up the information on her flight and scrolled down, until a large red button labeled “cancel flight” came onto the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Which way do I go? Dad… Hoenn… I promised myself I’d go back…. Revenge so Dad could finally rest… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But then what? </span>
  </em>
  <span>A small voice in the back of her mind said. What would she do after? She had already given everything up by leaving Hoenn in the first. There was nothing left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No future. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Galar had another path. And the only foreseeable end to that path was a lost battle. When she lost what was now her title. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So this is what fate had in store for me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hand shook slightly as it hovered over the cancel button. Before she could move however, a burst of light appeared beside her along with a gentle hum. Nimbus landed right next to her on the bench and craned her neck up at her Trainer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think, Nimbus…” Kiyuki whispered, using her free hand to scratch the Altaria under the long feathers on her head. “We have a choice to make. But it seems like fate wants us to stay in Galar.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus chirped once, and nodded. “You agree, huh? Alright…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiyuki brought her hand back to her phone, and firmly tapped the cancel button. Another screen popped up, asking her to confirm, and she didn’t hesitate this time. The flight to Slateport City vanished from her profile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nimbus lightly lifted into the air again, moving to Kiyuki’s shoulders and wrapping her wings around her head. Kiyuki smiled to herself, closing her eyes for a moment to absorb what was now her reality. Yet something told her this was the path she was always meant to take. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll make it back to Hoenn one day, Nimbus. One day,” she whispered. She gave Nimbus’ wings one last stroke, and stood up to make her way to the exit. Back to the hotel in Wyndon. Nimbus followed her, humming the song the Pokémon band had just been playing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As for her father, she would wait. But she wouldn’t forget. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Watershed: a turning point, a historic moment. </p><p>Thought it was a fitting chapter title, since our heroic protagonist is now the Champion! I'm going to be trying my best to get at least one more chapter out before the Winter term begins. After that, we'll see.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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